


Diamond in the Rough

by nosleepshefani



Category: Shefani, The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 09:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5534933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nosleepshefani/pseuds/nosleepshefani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwen and Blake have a beautiful love story, and this is just my made-up fantasy world in which we actually know what's going on behind the scenes, starting from the very beginning.  I guess it's my way of easing the pain on those painful no-Shefani days :,).  Anyways, enjoy!<br/>------------------<br/>***Chapter 6 is now up!! Thanks for reading :)***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic ever, so please bear with me! These two are just too cute; how could you not be inspired!?
> 
> Thanks to everyone who writes these...please keep doing it! It makes my day :)

**Late June, 2015**

They'd never cheated, in the physical sense...that much was entirely true. But the thoughts that had infiltrated her mind as she lie next to the man who never deserved her...well, if her imagination counted as cheating, then she'd never been more guilty of anything. It wasn't so much conscious as it was inevitable...after spending her nights fighting and crying with the man who was supposed to love her, how could her mind not stray to him? _Him_...oh, how one glimpse of him could melt her soul. He was absolutely _intoxicating_. His eyes, his laugh, his voice, manly and southern, especially when he was singing...it was enough to drive a girl insane. And so late at night, she would dream. She would fantasize about how it would feel to kiss him, to lie with him, how he would feel inside her. In the depths of the night, she would dream about what it would be like to have a man love her _right_. And that man was just always him.

But she couldn't. They couldn't. He was married...she was..married. Even if she shouldn't be. Even if she didn't even want to be. That man next to her was a cheating scumbag. Gwen and Gavin had always tried to make it work, for the kids. And, of course, things had started to get really, really terrible right around the time she got unexpectedly pregnant with Apollo. Was the pregnancy a huge shock? Definitely. But Apollo was also a gift from God that she wouldn't give back for anything. It was just..he was another thing that bound her to that man who could never seem to learn her value. But eventually, things became too awful to ignore.

One night, while innocently checking the calendar for the next day’s obligations, she found the texts...and the photos. She didn't want to believe her eyes...she and Gavin had three kids, had been married thirteen years, and he'd done THIS to her...with someone who she'd allowed into her home? Around her children? She shouldn't have been so surprised, but it was just hard to believe that anyone could be so cruel. Gwen knew, she couldn't stay the night in the same house as him. After screaming and crying and him half attempting to apologize for the inexcusable, they reached an ultimatum; he would pack his bags, she would find somewhere else for the night, and a nanny...a different nanny...would stay with the boys. The scumbag would be gone by morning. Until then, Gwen needed to get out. She needed to go somewhere that man hadn't tainted...she needed to go somewhere she could fall apart into those millions of pieces she'd now have to spend ages picking up. And, as always, in the depths of night, her thoughts drifted to him.

It was a bad idea. It was an awful idea. But she was overrun with emotions, she knew she couldn't safely drive for long, and he was close by. She needed someone she trusted. He had just gone through his own divorce, not even a month before...and, besides all of the logistical reasons...well, she wanted him to be the one to hold her while she fell apart. It was an awful idea, but she didn't care.

She pulled into his driveway at 11:47 pm. She hastily parked, briefly glanced at her makeup streaming down her face, decided it was unimportant, and half ran to the door. She instantly rang the doorbell, but thoughts of instant regret flooded into her mind. This was not right, she shouldn't make him see her like this, he definitely didn't, couldn't feel the same way... Before she turned on her heel and ran back to the car, her thoughts were interrupted by the door, and his groggy, but gorgeous, tall silhouette. Blake. She instantly felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Gwen? What the--" he got in before she broke his words with her sobs. "What happened? My God, are you okay?" he gasped, while quickly pulling her inside and in for a deep, concerned hug. He felt her tears start to stain his shirt, and she began to mutter into it.

"Things haven't been going well with Gavin for a while, but...tonight I found texts on his phone and--"

"Oh my God, that cheating son of a bitch!" yelled Blake.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have come, I--"

"My God Gwen, don't be stupid. Of course you should've come. I've got you," he soothingly breathed into her ear. She shook in his arms in the doorway for just another minute before he whisked her up, bridal style, and carried her, with purpose, all the way to his comfy leather couch in his family room, where football was playing on the tv in the background. He quickly switched it off, and turned on the fireplace.

She cried and cried, and Blake knew exactly what she felt. He'd felt the same way when he'd discovered Miranda's affair, not a month prior. Granted, he ran off to Adam's house instead of Gwen's in the middle of the night, but God knows that if she wasn't married at the time, that might not have been the same. Ever since Gwen came on the show, he couldn't help but be enticed by her. He fully expected her to be a stereotypical Hollywood dumb blonde; a rich girl who didn't care about anyone or anything and would prance around the set like she owned the place. He was ashamed that he had thought that now...he couldn't have possibly been more wrong about her. She was the most normal person he'd ever met in Hollywood. Ever. She was loads and loads better than Christina, whom he loved, but she was an absolute diva. Gwen and Blake had inevitably become close quite quickly, as the demanding hours of the show gave you no other choice but to spend time together, all day, everyday. And he quickly realized that he didn't mind that. Not at _all_. Going home at night was something most people looked forward to after work, but he wasn't one of those people. And it was because of her. Gwen.

At the time, he'd felt so guilty about it...he was married. He should love to go home to his wife. In hindsight, that should've told him something. Every morning he'd half jump out of bed, get ready as fast as possible, and speed all the way to the studio. It was strange thing for him because Blake Shelton was many things, but a morning person was not one of those. Until... _her_. She made him one. At first, he denied that his feelings for her were anything other than friendly. But there was something about the way she looked when she was excited, and the way she moved when they were on stage, and the passion she had for everything she cared about. It was enough to keep him up at night, thinking about the things he'd like to do to her. And it did. But, she was Gwen Stefani, a gorgeous rocker with the voice of an angel who looked twenty years younger than her actual age. She was magical and mystical and...married. And so was he. And he was just Blake Shelton, a whiskey drinking, gun shooting, plaid-bearing country man. He stood no chance, and that was disregarding the fact that they were both committed to other people. When his marriage went down the toilet after the cheating scandal, of course he was still upset. He had loved Miranda more than anything for years, and it was the ultimate betrayal. He stopped eating, stopped smiling, and happiness ceased to exist in his little world. But, time had improved the situation, and he couldn't deny that The Voice had either. Or that much of that had to do with her.

And now...here they were. So much had changed. When she was the one on his front porch, he couldn’t have been more surprised. He didn’t know what, exactly, he was expecting at nearly midnight on a weekday, but, for some reason, he felt like he should answer the door. Man, was he glad he had! But she was so...broken. He knew she’d been having problems with Gavin, but all marriages had them. He’d tried to always tell himself that it was probably nothing more than typical marital issues...even if he selfishly wanted them to be more than that. But...cheating? He didn’t quite see that one coming. Blake had never exactly liked Gavin, but he always kind of thought that was mostly attributed to a slight jealousy. And she was _Gwen fucking Stefani_. He couldn’t even fathom how anyone could ever want to cheat, if they got to lie next to her in bed every night.  Blake thought that he’d never found a more perfect human being in his entire life. How dare that son of a bitch!?

As he sat on his couch, with her curled up, in shambles, in his lap, he cradled her and caressed her and stared sadly down at her broken body form. It was too much to see her like this. Gwen Stefani and all of her woman power and confidence and beauty, reduced to nothingness by a scrawny, undeserving, sleazy man. Blake simultaneously wanted to find Gavin and beat him to shreds, and to absorb all of the pain this beautiful woman, normally so strong, was now exuding in his arms. She was so vulnerable and drained and...broken. But he knew, there was nothing he could do. Except just be there.

She cried until the tears wouldn't flow anymore. She had almost forgotten where she was as she drowned in her mourning for her lost marriage. But when the shaking subsided, she looked up and saw his deep, blue eyes, full of concern and compassion, glancing down at her, concerned, and she felt a new wave of emotion flow through her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his chest and tried to communicate the 'thank you' she knew she couldn't utter with words.

"God, Gwen, I'm so, unbelievably sorry," Blake said, "that I'm your best prospect in this situation! I mean, wow, what a shame."

Leave it to him to make a joke at a time like this!, Gwen thought as a slight smile cracked through her lips.

"Yeah you're right, I mean you're such a loser! Ugh, why don't I have someone else who would let me come crying hysterically into their home at midnight and comfort me?  You've gotta be the worst ever," joked Gwen. God, how could she ever thank him enough for this? She'd made such a fool of herself and he was still able to make her smile. For some reason, though, she wasn't embarrassed at all. He felt...safe. And she couldn't imagine any other arms could hold her better.

"Alright darlin', how 'bout I go get you a glass of wine, and I'll distract you with my stupid conversation until you can't keep your eyes open anymore tonight?" Blake said it as if it was an offer she couldn't refuse, even if Gwen had wanted to. She most definitely didn't.

"Oh, please do. God knows I _need_ a distraction tonight."

He left briefly before coming back with the wine, and was smart enough to bring the whole bottle. Blake would normally go for something stronger, but that just wasn’t right tonight. They both drained the whole bottle throughout the evening as they lay on opposite ends of the couch, talking about everything and nothing, the fireplace being the only distractor. Their skin occasionally made contact, and it would ignite a spark in both of their bodies...but it was nothing compared to what they felt as they stared into each other's eyes. That was absolute magic. Gwen was oh-so-broken, but, that night, Blake began to make her feel whole again. In an entirely new way. The hours passed and she began to become groggy, but she was just glad she didn't have to spend this first night alone with her thoughts and darkness. She couldn't be further from that in this cozy room with this big, comfy couch, and the hunk of a man across from her.

Eventually, Gwen couldn't hold off sleep any longer, and Blake smiled as he looked across the couch at her angelic figure, sleeping with a kind of grace he knew he'd never achieve. There she was, asleep, in his house. He couldn’t let her stay on the couch tonight; she needed to be as comfortable as possible. He had eight guest rooms he could take her to, but...he couldn’t leave her alone tonight. He told himself this wasn’t just him being entirely selfish...he remembered his first night without Miranda. It was the kind of night that no one should have to endure. But, he couldn’t exactly sleep in the same bed as Gwen...as much as he definitely wanted to.

He slid his hands gently and slowly underneath her perfect form, and picked her up for the second time that night, although she looked considerably better than she had the first. Moving steadily to try not to wake her up, he carried her up the stairs and gently placed her on his own bed. He gently pulled the blankets up to cover her, and, as his one selfish act, he placed one small, tender kiss on her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, my sweet Gwen," he whispered before switching off the light. Blake then grabbed a pillow and a blanket from his closet, as quietly as possible, and laid down next to her on the floor. This, he thought, was a nice compromise...she wouldn’t be alone, and it was still appropriate for a married woman...but God, how he wanted to be in that bed with her. Even if just to hold her...but, he was lucky enough that she’d came to him tonight, in the first place, he supposed. As he looked up at her sleeping figure, so innocent and beautiful in the moonlight, Blake pondered all of the events of the night. Himself holding her as she'd cried, all of the details of their following conversations, the few times her skin brushed up against him. And how damn good that felt. Her chocolate brown eyes, and the sadness that filled them to the brim. He swore to himself, that night, that he'd get rid of that…he’d make her happy again...if only she'd let him. And, Blake being Blake, he thought about the fact that he had Gwen Stefani, asleep, in his house at 2:48 in the morning, not five feet from him.

"Damn, chivalry, always gotta ruin everything," he muttered, smiling, before rolling over and giving in to the darkness.

\---------------

Gwen awoke to her own tears, and realized she had absolutely no idea where she was. She made herself look around a bit...she realized she was on a gorgeous, king-sized, four poster...clearly in the master bedroom---of Blake Shelton's house. And there was Blake...on the ground. What a gentleman, she thought, tears still streaming down her face gently. He’d clearly carried her up the stairs, and she couldn’t stop herself from thinking that that’s the kind of man every woman should have in their life. She wondered what time it was and found a clock on the bedside table; it was only 4:16 am. She laid back down, on Blake’s pillow, and despite her efforts, she couldn’t stop the darkness from exposing all of her sorrows. The sobs wracked her body as she relived the betrayal, and she completely forgot about being quiet until she felt the presence of a certain warm, calloused hand on her back. She quickly rolled over and found Blake, sitting on the bed...his bed...and she reached for him. He seemed kind of uncertain, like he wasn’t sure if he should be there, in a bed, with Gwen Stefani, while she cried about her husband. But, all she wanted in the world at that moment was his presence.

She continued to sob, and his heart was breaking for her. Oh, fuck it, he thought. He swiftly moved to lay down right beside her, and he extended his arms to pull her broken form into his warm chest. She immediately cuddled into him, in a little ball, and he wrapped both arms around her, trying to hold her together in one piece as the emotions threatened to tear her apart. Blake didn’t even notice the time passing as he felt the tears soaking his tee-shirt once more, and, this time, he freed a hand from around her back and used his thumb, while cupping her face, to gently wipe away the tears. And he kissed her forehead again, trying to breathe some love back into her, but this time, while she was awake. They laid like that for a long time together, Gwen leaning into him and holding on for dear life as the emotions overcame her.

Eventually, the tears stopped flowing, once again, and neither of them wanted to move. But, as Gwen wasn’t crying anymore, it was past the point of comfort. Blake knew this, and although it ripped him to shreds, he began to release her and remove himself from their embrace.

“No...Blake...stay with me,” she whispered; a secret, just loud enough for their ears to hear. “Please.”

And so, he did. She rolled over, the little spoon, and her head fit perfectly below his. Her back pressed into his stomach as his large, warm arm wrapped her body closely into his, landing across her stomach, still shaking slightly from the sobs. He felt her small, cold hand reach up to meet his, and he wove his fingers between hers.

“Thank you. For staying,” she whispered in the dark, but meaning so much more than just that. And as his body held hers so that there was no space between them, and his warmth spread to her, she felt the night take her once more. This time, with him holding her tighter than the nightmares could reach, she had no trouble staying asleep.  
\---------------

She breathed in the morning air, and was in absolute bliss after that _amazing_ sleep for about two seconds...before her memories took her straight back to reality. She relived the night in a matter of five seconds as what sleep had hidden from her arose again, but this time, only a single tear fell down her face. She remembered, too, the warm body that had held her so close the night before, and wondered where he’d disappeared to, as he certainly wasn’t in the newly cold bed anymore. She glanced at the clock, and saw that it was, surprisingly, 11:08 am. She hadn’t slept in so late in years! Having three kids was absolutely wonderful, but they certainly didn’t ever let her sleep past 7:30, even on a good day!

She sat up, looking, for the first time in broad daylight, at the room where Blake Shelton slept in. It was beautiful and homey, and had a country feel while still being distinctly modern. But the best part was the smell...it smelled just like him. She inhaled and closed her eyes and smiled. But, she was still in clothes from the night before. Blake’s closet door was open across the room, so she stretched her legs and walked over there. She found a comfy plaid shirt, and as he was so much taller than her, it fit her almost like a dress, with lots of leg exposed. This will do, she thought, and she found the doorway to take her out of the bedroom.

She had to do some exploring to find him; she’d been to his house before, but never in his bedroom, and the house was just _enormous_. It exuded Blake, and she could see him in all of the little details. She knew that L.A. wasn’t his favorite place to call home, but he’d certainly done a good job of making his home there feel, well, homey. She climbed down the stairs and then recognized where she was, as she'd been to that portion of the house before, although she didn’t know where she’d find Blake. She checked the living room, the library, his many sitting rooms, but couldn’t find him anywhere, until she entered the kitchen and caught him out of the corner of her eye through a window. He was on his balcony off the kitchen, leaning on the rail, looking off into the distance, while occasionally sipping his coffee. She couldn’t help but stare...it was so easy to get lost in him. Even from behind, he was just beautiful. Such a man’s man, yet, so gentle and compassionate.   His hair, not yet gelled down for the day, moved a little in the light breeze, and she was mesmerized by watching him look out at the world beyond theirs.  She eventually slipped through the door to the outside, and quietly walked up behind him, snaking her arms around his body, and leaning into him. He turned, surprised, before slipping one arm out and wrapping it behind her back.

“Good morning, beautiful. I didn’t even hear you come out here, you little sneak,” he said, with a smile that bled through, all the way to his eyes.

“Sorry to sneak up on you, cowboy,” she said with a smirk, and not actually sorry at all. “You’ve got a beautiful home. Thank you for letting me crash in it.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. You weren’t  _too_ much of a bother,” he teased, with a wink. “I’ve had worse company, you know. You could stick around all day, or like, for the rest of eternity, if you wanted,” he joked.

God, she loved how he was so many things. He was such a tease, always making everyone laugh all the time. But, then there was the Blake she got the pleasure of experiencing last night...the sweet, protective, loving gentleman. She loved both sides of him, and she loved that he always seemed to know which side she needed.

“Look at you, cowboy, overstepping those boundaries, just like always. Just because I let you sleep in the same bed as me last night, don’t start your thinking that anything else will start happening,” she teased with a wide smile, and flirtation in her eyes. To be honest, she didn’t even really mean it...she was starting to think that the boundaries would quickly be adjusted. He looked down at her with his mischievous face, and shook his head, just a little, while he smiled.

“Dang, you open up your home to someone in the middle of the night and can’t expect anything in return. What a world,” he joked, and she looked up at him in a way that let him know that she got his jokes. There was still so much sadness in her eyes, but he knew that he had helped bring, at the very least, a little sliver of hope back into them.

“In all seriousness, Blake...thank you for letting me stay here. And for dealing with my mascara stains on your shirts. I didn’t really have a clue where to go, because, it's not like that's a decision you have to make everyday," she said with a sad laugh, "but, I’m glad I came here,” she said, squeezing him lightly in their embrace. He wrapped both arms around her and lightly kissed her forehead, and that alone was enough to say ‘you’re welcome’, without saying anything at all. They stood there, enjoying the morning breeze, for a few more minutes, before Gwen knew she had to get back to her three little boys at home...even if she didn't want to leave this amazing man just yet. “I better get going. I’ve, no doubt, got three very confused kids at home, and if I stay for much longer, I don’t think I’ll ever leave,” she admitted, with a smile.

“Of course, of course. And you’re welcome for the shirt, by the way,” he teased as she began to walk toward the door.

“Oh yeah, I’m sorry! I’ll wash it and give it back, I promise.”

“Nah, keep it. It looks way better on you anyway,” he flirted with a slight whistle. “Gwen Stefani, in my plaid shirt, no pants...who would’a thought!”

“Oh, rein it in, cowboy. Don’t get your hopes up too high, just yet,” she said with a smirk. “I’ll see you soon.”

“God, I hope so,” he got out, half joking, before she closed the door with one last look at that perfect man. Blake would’ve loved to walk her out, but he got the sense that she wanted to leave by herself. If he did walk her to the door, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself... No, it wasn’t quite time for that yet, but maybe that time would come. And he hoped so...and soon.

He stood there, in the early afternoon sun, thanking God that Gwen Stefani had stumbled into his house the night before. He didn’t know what he did to deserve that, but, damn, he prayed it would happen again.


	2. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen goes through a bit of an emotional journey trying to move on from her failed marriage, and The Voice has started again...so she's spending a decent amount of time with you-know-who ;). There may or may not be clothes, either, and you can see my take on who asked who out first!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for encouraging me to write! I'll continue this timeline until I run out of ideas and you guys get tired of reading it :). Please feel free to comment ideas or suggestions at the bottom!

It had been a little over a month since Gwen Stefani’s life had blown up in her face, and she decided that she needed to leave that in the past.  She had her kids, whom she needed to be in a good place for, and they gave her so many reasons to be happy.  How could she not be?  And she’d received so much support from the fans, from her friends, from her family.  But, most of all, he didn’t deserve to have her hung up on him any longer.  Gavin Rossdale was cheating scum, and any day she spent wallowing in her sorrows because of him was a day he won.  He didn’t deserve to be cared about, not by her, and so she decided that, for the most part, it was time to move on.  She was a crier; that was and always would be unavoidable; but, she needed to start crying for the right reasons, if it was going to happen at all.  She could cry out of anger, regret, or even happiness, but never of hurt caused by Gavin Rossdale.  No, he didn’t deserve that.  And, so, she began to move on. Slowly, her smile came back, and then her laughs, and before she knew it, he wasn’t on her mind all the time.  Only some of it, but, even then, her eyes didn’t flood with tears anymore.

At this time, her commitments to The Voice were about to begin for her second season on the show.  And, if she didn’t already have enough reasons to wake up in the morning, that would certainly be a huge one.  It was so damn inspiring, and she got to see her best friends everyday while she worked.  Who even got to work with their best friends!?  It was so crazy.  And then there was the fact that she would get to see _him_.  He knew just how to make her laugh until she cried, something most people had quite a hard time doing.  He just got to her, in the best ways.  The happiness he brought into her life drew her to him in a way she’d never felt drawn to anyone before.  He was intoxicating to her.  It was magnetic.

Ever since that first night when she’d discovered the affair and went to Blake’s house, she’d thought about him nonstop.  And, on those nights after, when she just couldn’t bear the pain, she’d pull out her phone, and listen to old voicemails, just to hear his voice.  She’d type out everything she’d ever wanted to say to him...and then she’d delete it all before she could press ‘send’.  She even, super secretly, had kept and had never washed that plaid flannel she left his house in.  It smelled exactly like him.  During those first couple of weeks, it took everything she had to not slink back over to his house, into his bed, every night when the pain would come.  Instead, she’d open her bottom drawer of her nightstand, and pull out that plaid shirt, tears streaming down her face.  She’d lay back down and curl up into it and imagine that he was there, in her bed, with her, instead of just his shirt that smelled less and less like him with every night she slept with it.  It was slightly pathetic, her attachment to that flannel.  But she didn’t care. It reminded her of the only thing that could save her from the pain that threatened to consume her.

Though he was her lifeline, he wouldn’t know it, because through all of those nights, for some reason, she couldn’t find the courage to call him, text him, visit him...even send an email, aside from the few texts he’d sent in the following days to check in on her, which she’d scarcely answered.  She didn’t even fully understand why she couldn’t contact him, aside from those check-ins.  She was getting a divorce, she was a free woman!  He was a single man, and he certainly made her feel things she couldn’t explain.  He had been there for her in a way that no one else could be, even if they’d tried.  But still...she didn’t.  She couldn’t.  Maybe it was because she was scared.  She knew there were feelings there, and she’d begun to accept that.  She didn’t know how deep they were, how long they’d last, or if they were just the result of their coincidentally similar situations.  But, even if she couldn’t categorize them, there were feelings.  And, she didn’t want to push those feelings too far before she’d figured them out.  Despite the fact that she’d needed it at the time, she felt like she’d crossed the line a little too far after that night, and she knew that he probably did, as well.  It’s not that she didn’t _want_ to cross that line...it was just, if something was going to happen there, she wanted it to be for the absolute right reasons.  Not because he was convenient, not because he was willing to hold her while she cried.  No, Gwen was a serious relationship kind of girl.  She’d only ever dated two men in her whole entire life, and she’d ended up marrying one.  For thirteen years.  Besides, she had three beautiful boys who were already upset and confused from the divorce. If she and Blake were going to try a relationship, she’d better be damn sure that he was what she wanted.  

Those things all worried her, but they didn’t scare her.  She could figure those things out; they were within her control.  What she was scared of was that she had absolutely no idea what he felt for her.  If he truly felt anything, at all.  Sure, that first night, it had felt like there was something, but her emotions were also out of control at the time.  He could’ve been just trying to be a good friend to her.  And, he was flirty in the morning, but he always was...maybe he was just trying to make her feel better.  That was a very Blake thing to do, after all.  He and his gentlemanly, Southern, considerate ways...she could think about him for all of eternity.  Perhaps that was what scared her the most.  When she thought of him, when she created fantasies in her mind to comfort herself on those lonely nights, her visions were that of perfection.  Picnics in fields with no one else around for miles, him and her kids as one big happy family, hikes in the mountains where they’d look down upon the world together, hand in hand, and mind boggling sex for hours and hours… Those fantasies were absolutely wonderful, but her greatest fear was that they could never be realized.  What if it turned out that he wasn’t interested in her in that way, the _good_ way, at all?  It would destroy her perfect little imaginary world that she so desperately wanted to become her reality, and the hope she had for the two of them.  She just couldn’t bear the possibility of rejection; the possibility that this man she so desperately wanted, whom the idea of held her to this earth, wouldn’t want her back.  That would break her heart all over again.

God, she’d turned into a teenager for the second time in her life when thinking about that man, but she couldn’t help it.  He just did something to her she couldn’t explain with words.  She was determined that when she finally saw him at The Voice, she’d come across as a strong, confident lady, no matter how much he melted her like butter.  She wanted to figure this out.  Only five more days, not that she was counting...

  
\--------------------------------------

Gwen woke up earlier than usual the day The Voice began filming again.  She knew she could make up so many reasons in her head why she woke up with a slightly queasy stomach, but there was no real denying it; it was because that day would be the first time she’d get to see Blake since that night she’d shown up on his doorstep.  She was excited as hell, but also, so, so nervous.  But, she’d get to see Pharrell and Adam again, and, no matter what, the four coaches on that panel had such amazing chemistry that she was bound to come home with a smile-headache... honestly, it was mostly from Adam and Blake’s constant bickering.  The extra stuff, with Blake...even if that didn’t work out, she was guaranteed to laugh until she cried, numerous times, and that was something she could never pass up.

Gwen collected herself, got up, showered, and then dressed minimally.  Her hair and makeup would be done at the studio, of course, and she would get dressed up later on.  She kissed her boys goodbye, left them with the nanny--the new nanny--and then got in her car and drove to the studio.

When she got there, God, she couldn’t even think straight!  She made her way through the doors, politely greeted the security guards, and meandered her way through the maze of hallways.  She entered the area where their trailers were, and, all of a sudden, there he was.  She was so unprepared, and before she could even compose her thoughts, he smiled and walked straight up to her and scooped her into a giant bear hug, his smile shining all the way through to his eyes.

“Hey there stranger,” he said with a wink.  “I was beginning to think you’d died or somethin’!  Can’t have, though, because no dead person has ever looked that gorgeous,” he said while they embraced.  He pulled back and she looked straight into his glittering blue eyes, and they were just like home.  Her nerves began to subside as she found the kindness within his eyes, and it seemed as though he definitely wouldn’t be shy around her.

“Good to see you too, cowboy!  What, no plaid today?  Has the world ended?”

“Doesn’t help that you stole one of those straight from my closet!  A man only has so many good flannels, sis.”

“Stole!?  I think you’re forgetting the part where you told me to keep it.  Something about it looking better on me or something,” she winked back.

“Oh trust me, I wouldn’t forget that part,” he said with a knowing look and a smile that went all the way to Gwen’s center.  She certainly hadn’t planned on it, but Gwen blushed right then.  She blushed so hard as she turned to go toward her trailer...damn, when she thought she had it under control!

Blake watched as she walked away, elated as ever to finally see the woman he’d been dreaming about ever since he’d last seen her.  Like, quite literally dreaming about.  He, of course, wished he could’ve seen her since then...everyday, even...but, as she was the one with the most recent heartbreak, he figured it’d be best if she came to him.  He was disappointed (that was an understatement) that she hadn’t reached out.  But, he wanted to give her space.  He’d pretty much accepted the fact that he didn’t think she was interested in him the way he selfishly hoped she was, and convinced himself to treat her like he would any friend he hadn’t seen in awhile when he finally saw her on The Voice.  She certainly didn’t need his dumb, unrealistic feelings complicating her life...but that didn’t mean he couldn’t admire her ass as she walked to her trailer.  Damn, only she could still look that good with her forty-sixth birthday coming up that autumn.

After eight hours of filming, Gwen was back in her trailer, and she was just _exhausted_ .  Like, fall-straight-into-bed-and-never-get-up exhausted.  But, it had been such an excellent day...God, she’d forgotten exactly how amazing it was to be on that show.  The music and the artists were inspiring, and the “arguments” the coaches got into while fighting for artists made the blind auditions one of her absolute favorite parts of the show.  And, best of all, she’d gotten to spend the day with Adam, Pharrell, and Blake...she couldn’t possibly imagine a better trio of guys; well, besides her kids...and her band mates...why was she always with boys!?  Overall, it was just an excellent day.  But, she hadn’t had any one-on-one time with Blake, besides the two seconds when he hugged her as she walked in.  And she was _craving_ it.  She sat for a minute, building up some audacity, before she stood up and made her way to Blake’s trailer.  She was so excited to see him that she opened the door, without knocking, and immediately realized that she _definitely_ should have…

Gwen stepped inside, but before she opened her mouth to say hello, she realized that Blake was standing there facing away from her, wearing absolutely nothing but the towel around his waist.  She immediately forgot her exhaustion.  She didn’t know what to do as she stood there staring at him in awe, because he apparently hadn’t heard her enter.  His hair was still dripping from his shower, and as the water ran slowly down the planes of his back, she realized just how sexy Blake Shelton was.  His back was muscular, not like men who worked out to build bodies, but in the working-man type of way, clearly developed from all of Blake’s work around the farm, and his broad shoulders added to his masculinity.  He was tan, and had clearly lost weight since his divorce from Miranda.  His legs were long, hairy, and muscular, and sexy as fuck. She could feel the arousal building in her lace panties, just at the sheer sight of him. Even without clothes, his body still exuded the ruggedness she’d become so attracted to.  She noticed all of this in a matter of about five seconds, before she realized how much more awkward the situation would be if he noticed her staring than if she spoke up first, and he began to turn, and so she decided to intervene.

“Blake--oh--uh, sorry, I’ll just--”

“Gwen! Oh my God, you pervert,” he said laughing, and she began to laugh right along with him.

“No! I’m sorry, it was totally an accident and--”

“You know you were enjoying it though,” he said with a sly wink that resulted in a prompt blush from Gwen.  And they definitely both noticed it.  And Blake was definitely not upset with that...not at _all_ .  Gwen kind of stood there for a moment, completely unaware of what to say, before Blake spoke up; “By the way, have you ever heard of knocking, sis!?”  They both laughed and Gwen plopped down on the couch behind her, accepting the fact that this was a terribly awkward situation, but their lives were absolutely full of those.  And, she was enjoying the scenery.  For _sure_.

“Here, let me get myself presentable real quick, and I’ll be right out,” Blake said before stepping into the bathroom.  He only cracked the door, and Gwen couldn’t help but crane her neck to peek through the crack.  Damn, he was one sexy man.  It was so easy for her to get lost in him.

He came out about two minutes later, wearing everything but a shirt, which he rummaged for in his drawers before finding a flannel he approved of, and sat down next to her on the couch, where he reached to start buttoning it.

“Here, let me,” she said, as she turned toward him and began to button his shirt starting at the bottom, one by one.  Even she was a bit shocked at her courage, but she was growing more confident by the minute.  He just made her feel so _comfortable_. When she made it to the top of the shirt, she held on a second longer than necessary, and looked up to find his eyes staring at her in, what appeared to be, wonder.

“There you go, now I don’t have to be so distracted and we can have a nice conversation,” Gwen said, smoothly, and with a slight flirtatious wink that Blake swore he didn’t imagine.  He was absolutely shocked at how thick she was laying it on, but he didn’t mind one bit.  He was starting to think he’d misinterpreted her not reaching out to him over the past month, but he wasn’t entirely sure, and now he was just confused, but yet enjoying whatever was happening in that moment.

“So, Miss Gwen, why’d you come bargin’ into my trailer earlier, anyway?” Blake asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing in particular.  Just wanted to see the cowboy before I headed out for the night.”

“Well, I’m sure you saw a bit more than you bargained for, there,” he said and they both began to laugh, Gwen throwing her head back in the process.  She came back up and smiled, kicked off her heels, then turned so that her back was against the arm of the couch, and placed her feet in Blake’s lap.

“Yeah, I suppose I did,” she said, her giggles still subsiding.  “So, how’ve you been since...I last saw you?”

“Me?  Kind of lonely, but other than that, good.  Just hangin’ in there, enjoying Oklahoma and missin’ this place a bit,” Blake told her.  His tone became a bit softer, his voice more gentle as he asked, “But, what about you?  How have you been doing?”

“Well...it’s been a long month.  It was a lot to swallow, and it’s all been pretty crazy.  Lots of sleepless nights, lots of tears, at first, but things are a lot better since then.  I don’t know, it was just so unexpected--but, I’m being silly; I’m sure you know better than anyone what it’s like,” Gwen spilled, forgetting that she was ever trying to be so confident in the first place.  Damn, he and his blue eyes and his Southern accent really did melt her like butter.

“I mean, of course I know what it’s like, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about it, you know, vent it out.  I can’t think of a person more willing to listen,” Blake assured, sincerely.  She smiled up at him in her slightly sad but very sweet way, as a ‘thank you’.  Before she was about to start talking, he blurted out, “Look, Gwen...I’m sorry that I didn’t try harder to be there for you this past month.”

“Oh Blake, don’t be silly, I--”

“No, really.  I should’ve FaceTimed you every day, called you, texted you...somethin’.  I guess I assumed if you didn’t reach out, that meant that you didn’t want to talk, and I didn’t want to bother you, I guess... but I guess I just forgot that it can be hard to ask for comfort...after I just went through it myself!” He laughed solemnly.  “But seriously, I’m sorry, Gwen.  I should’ve been there. If there’s anythin’ you need, at all, any time, any place, just let me know, okay?”, he said with a smile.

Gwen’s eyes were beginning to fill with tears as this sweet man’s words melted her heart.  She didn’t think she could speak without totally losing it, so instead of saying ‘thank you’, she moved over right next to him, her legs curled away from him beneath her, and put her arms around him, snuggling her face into his neck.  He gently moved his arm behind her shoulder, pulling her in, and put his face down on top of her head.  She leaned completely onto him.  He was in absolute awe of the woman he held so close to him, and he didn’t know if he could ever let her go.  With a rush of emotion, Blake’s eyes became mysteriously wet, and he quickly blinked it away before she turned to look up at him, her mouth close enough to kiss.  God, he wanted to...he _wanted_ to...so fucking badly.  But not like this.  He would kiss her someday; any doubts of that he had before were gone now.  He was positive there was something there. Someday, he would sweep her off her feet and kiss her with all of the passion he could muster, but he would do it in a moment that was all their own.  A moment the two of them created together, without the clouds of lost loves and heartbreak over their kiss.  He would do it, someday soon, but not today.  Instead, he just peered down at her absolutely exquisite features, and smiled in a way that he hoped conveyed the amount of emotions he was experiencing.  Before the moment became so intense that he couldn’t help himself, Blake stood up.

“So, is it a wine, whiskey, or beer kind of night?” he asked, while making his way toward the mini fridge he had in his trailer.

“There’s the Blake I know,” she said with a laugh, as the moment diffused.  

“You betcha, I mean, what else am I good for?” he said jokingly.

“I’m thinking beer tonight, actually,” she said.  “Let’s change it up a bit from last time.”

“Alright, sunshine, whatever you want,” he said as he reached down and got two beers before handing one to Gwen and then sitting next to her on the couch, but not as close as before.  He didn’t know if he could handle it without kissing her beautiful lips this time.

\-------------------------------

Three beers, each, and four hours of conversation later, Gwen still didn’t want the night to end, but she knew it had to.  It was _entirely_ too late, and she’d ignored that fact as long as possible, but now it was hitting the point of ridiculousness. They had to do this all over again the next day, and at this rate, she would be dead...as much as she did love the amazing heart-to-heart she and Blake were having. He was so open and honest, and didn’t seem at all ashamed of having emotions, which was quite refreshing.  They talked about their divorces, and she actually watched him shed a tear, and she shed many more.  They had hardly touched in an intimate way at all, save Blake wiping the tears from her cheeks a couple of times, but yet she’d never felt more intimate with a man in her whole life.  It was such a strange sensation, and she knew he was feeling it, too.  That was the best part of Blake...you knew what he was feeling because you could see it so genuinely in his eyes.

Everything had changed in those four hours. She knew, for sure, what she wanted, and that was him.  He made her feel appreciated and alive, and even beautiful, just by the way he looked at her.  That was something she didn’t even know was a possibility.  

“Well, Mr. Blake, I better get going.  It’s getting late and I don’t want to be hammered, or dead by the morning,” she said with a laugh.  “Thank you so much, for all of that.”

“Damn, I know you’re right, but I wish you weren’t,” he said with a tired, but genuinely disappointed smile as they both stood up.  She closed the small distance between them and gave him a deep hug that she wished could be so much more.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Blake,” she said, drawing out their embrace as long as possible.

“I’ll be lookin’ forward to that tonight,” he said with a suggestive laugh.  She finally pulled away and walked to the door.  Gwen stepped outside, and Blake turned to pick up their small mess of bottles, but she quickly thought better of it and stepped back in.

“Hey Blake?”, she said, as he turned back around, a bit surprised.

“Yeah?”

“Let me know when you grow a pair and decide to ask me on a date, okay?” she said, with a smirk, before stepping out once again and, this time, shutting the door and leaving Blake alone with his thoughts.

“God damnit, what an amazing woman,” he whispered to himself, smiling bigger than ever in his shock at her audacity, and thinking over what he was going to do with this permission she’d just granted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to comment ideas or suggestions :)


	3. Last First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A first present, first date, and even a first kiss. This is a big chapter for our favorite couple ever :).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for waiting so patiently! I had family in town, so this chapter took a bit longer than usual. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> P.S. We were so spoiled today. I couldn't even handle the pictures from the game, my HEART!

As Blake’s alarm went off (entirely too early) the next morning, he only felt a split second of irritation before the events of the night before flashed through his mind.  Her leg brushing up against his, the brief feeling of their hands interacting, the look in her eyes as she gazed back at him.  And, most of all, that sassy comment as she left...wow, she was just...incredible.  Inhuman.  He rolled over and gazed straight up at the ceiling in that very same four poster Gwen had slept in, and a huge smile spread across his face.  He couldn’t help it; that’s just what she did to him.  He didn’t understand how in the hell he had gotten Gwen Stefani to like him enough to “suggest” that he asked her out...at all.  All he knew was he had to be the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.  Now, he had to figure out how to formally ask her out without shitting his pants, and what they would even do on a date.  Most places that “normal” couples would go to on a first date were entirely too public.  And he’d be nervous already without having to deal with onlookers “sneakily” (it was never sneaky) snapping pictures of them and analyzing their every move.  That ruled out just about every restaurant, bar, club, hangout in town.  That left...his house, or somewhere super, duper private; if he could make that happen.  And...he’d see her again today!  Which meant he had to get this situation figured out, and _soon_.  If he didn’t, she’d think he wasn’t interested, and damn, that couldn’t be further from the truth.  It had to be absolutely perfect...he couldn’t screw up this shot at the girl he’d been dreaming about for months. And, he had to be at the studio in an hour...shit, he had to get his life together!

\------------------------------

Gwen had absolutely no idea what to expect today, but she knew she could probably expect _something_ ...she had left Blake in his trailer with a near demand the night prior!  She just couldn’t help herself...he was so enticing.  She needed to explore what they had, and _soon_.  And she knew that he would be too worried about it being “too soon” for her, so she had to throw him a bone!  Right?  Now it was his turn to catch it.

She didn’t see him in the morning when she arrived at the studio, and he seemed to be mysteriously absent from everywhere she looked for him.  The first time they interacted was actually when they were going on stage.  He gave her a huge smile when he first saw her, but he looked slightly nervous.  It was actually incredibly cute!  During the entire rest of the day, they’d exchange smiles as they passed by, but the makeup crew was all over Gwen, all the time, and the blinds were all back to back with little downtime, anyways.  She and Blake would bicker while trying to win over artists, as they seemed to always favor the same types of voices, but she never actually got to interact with him one-on-one.

After the show was done filming for the day and makeup and wardrobe were done with “undoing” her look, Gwen decided to visit Blake’s trailer.  She just had enjoyed herself so much the night prior, and she was being selfish, but she didn’t care.  She just wanted to see him, alone.  But, when she got to his trailer, the lights were out, and the door was locked (she only tried it AFTER knocking, this time) and when she asked Adam where he was, he told her Blake had already left.  She tried not to take it personally; after all, maybe he had somewhere to be.  But, she’d hoped that he would seeked her out at some point today.  She was pretty sure that she hadn’t freaked him out with her comment, but it was always a possibility...  She realized that she wouldn’t get to see him for a few days, as they had a filming break, and the thought tore her up inside, a bit.

Still kind of bummed out, Gwen walked up to her own trailer, went inside, and turned on the light.  She was prepared to just grab her things and get home to the boys since Blake had already left, but, when she turned around, she saw a huge bouquet sitting on her dresser.  It was absolutely _enormous_!  And so, so beautiful.  The sight overwhelmed her, and she teared up, just a bit (shocker) just from the fact that someone had sent that to her.  She walked up to it and stopped, quite literally, to smell the roses, when she noticed a rather large box sitting in front of the bouquet.  She quickly picked it up and opened it, and on the inside lay a huge necklace.  It was absolutely exquisite!  It was made up of a thick array of hundreds of diamonds in a beautiful crystalline pattern, large enough to lay across her chest, in a beautiful, swooping triangular shape.  In the center was a large, circular, diamond-surrounded opal; Gwen’s birthstone.  But, the sweetest part was that, below the opal lay a slightly smaller emerald; below that, a peridot, smaller than both, and, at the very bottom was an amethyst, the smallest of all. They were all embedded in the diamonds that created the triangular shape and reached a tip below the amethyst, finishing out the triangle.  Gwen broke out into tears as she realized that each stone was the birthstone of each of her children; an emerald for Kingston, a peridot for Zuma, and an amethyst for Apollo.  As she stared in awe at the custom-made necklace which clearly cost thousands of dollars, she finally noticed a note at the top of the box.  It was typed onto white cardstock in fancy lettering, and read;

 

**So you can always keep your kids with you, even when they’re with you-know-who for the night.  The limo will pick you up at home at 8:00.  And, don’t worry,  I already talked to the new nanny; she’ll be staying with the boys tonight.**

**-Blake**

Gwen literally could not even believe her eyes.  Or that man.  That beautiful, incredible, wonderful man.  It was literally the most considerate gift anyone had ever given her in her entire life. She could not even begin to comprehend how anyone could ever let him go, but damn, she was thankful they had.  Now, he could be all hers.

Filled with a newfound excitement she hadn’t felt in years, Gwen gathered her things and rushed out her trailer door, her mind racing.  She was walking more briskly than she had in years, as she buzzed right into Adam.

“I assume you found the present?” Adam asked in a knowing tone with a huge smile on his face.

“You knew!? And, I mean, do you see the tear stains on my cheeks!?  How the hell did he get all of this done!?”

“Of course I knew!  Stupid guy was excited all of his mind all day.  He had to tell _someone_.  And we both made some phone calls to get things arranged today.  I mean, you know I actually love the guy, as much as I tease him,” Adam said as he spoke to Gwen, who had the biggest smile on her face he’d ever seen.  “When he asks you to help him out, you say yes...especially when it helps out another friend, you know what I’m sayin’,” he said, with a gravelly, suggestive voice that made both he and Gwen laugh.

“I just...it’s so _romantic_.  I never quite expected that from him, I guess.”

“He can be a big softie.  I know that because he’s my boyfriend, remember!?”  That elicited a laugh from both of them.

“Where am I even going tonight!?”

“Oooh, can’t spill that...it’s for me to know, and for you to find out,” he said with a wink.

“Well at least tell me what to wear!” she exclaimed.

“Let’s put it this way; the cowboy had his tux steamed today.  Have _you_ ever seen him in anything other than jeans?”

“Oh God, I need to get out of here then!  I’m gonna go home and get ready.  See you soon!”, she said, as she ran off toward her car, her heeled boots clicking away.  Adam laughed and sent Blake a text that read, “She found it.  Never seen a bigger smile on anyone’s face.  Go get ‘em, cowboy”.

  
\---------------------------------

Gwen stepped outside of her mansion, heels clicking against the pavement, at 7:56 pm.  Her hair was curled flawlessly, like Marilyn Monroe, and she looked like she came straight out of a fifties movie.  She wore a fitted, sleeveless, floor length, plunging black dress that showcased the necklace Blake had bought for her perfectly, and accentuated her curves in a way that she hoped he’d appreciate.  She donned her signature red lipstick and her perfectly applied makeup that made her skin look like porcelain.  As much as she shouldn’t be, she was anxious as hell.  But, a good anxious; the kind where you have butterflies running rampant in your stomach and you can’t even wait for what is about to happen.  

She didn’t have to wait for long, as the limo pulled up, right on time, to the circle in front of her residence, and a man in a suit got out and opened the door for her.  She climbed in and found champagne waiting for her, but no Blake.  She had no idea where she was going as the limo pulled away, but she certainly couldn’t wait to find out.

She sipped the champagne and watched the buildings go by through the tinted windows as they drove through downtown L.A., and after about twenty minutes, the limo pulled up to a restaurant she’d been to only once before.  However, after one meal, it quickly became one of her all-time favorites.  But, it was far too expensive to frequent much more often than that.  The wine list rarely dipped below $500, and though she had the money, it was still a bit ridiculous.  But yet, this was the place Blake had picked.  She vaguely remembered telling him about how much she had loved the food here during her first season of The Voice, and she was absolutely flattered that he had clearly remembered that conversation.

The driver opened her door, once again, and she made the short journey to the doorway with an escort, as, of course, hundreds of paparazzi were there snapping her photo.  The escort opened the door, then moved to step in front of it, clearly to prevent entrance.  She walked into the hugely popular and sophisticated restaurant, expecting to be greeted by many restaurant goers shocked to see her presence there, but when she entered, that wasn’t the case.  The restaurant was dark, lit only by candles and dimmed chandeliers, there was mood music playing, and all of the tables in the huge place were dressed in their white linens and were set with the most detailed place setting she had ever seen.  There were gorgeous burgundy curtains blocking out the world, and the entire restaurant had architectural details fit for a queen, with golden hues and astonishing mahogany woodwork throughout.  It was classy and sophisticated, and...empty.  Not a worker or customer in sight.  There was one exception; the man, clad in an _extremely_ well fitted black tuxedo, waiting to take her hand when she walked in the door.  Blake.

“Good God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight in my entire life,” he said, with genuine awe.  In that moment, Gwen was so overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness and kindness that tears began to flow down her face as she smiled with a gratefulness that she hoped could communicate just how awed she was by him.

“Oh Gwen, no tears tonight!” Blake said, with a little laugh, as he took her hand and pulled her into a big bear hug.

“Blake, I can’t even believe you, this isn’t even real life.  How the hell…” she said as he held on to her tightly.  He let go of their embrace and was met with such adoration in her beautiful brown eyes that he knew he must’ve done something right.

“Don’t you worry about that part of it, my darlin’.”  Blake offered his arm with a mock-sophisticated look on his face and said, in a butler-esque voice, “May I please help a beautiful woman to her table?”  They both instantly laughed at his faux attempt to be serious as she nodded, and took his arm.  He led her to a table set for two in the middle of the room and helped her into her chair before seating himself directly across from her, at a close enough distance that they could reach out and touch the other if they wanted to.  When they first sat down, neither could do anything but stare at the other in absolute awe, both with ridiculously enormous smiles plastered on their faces.  Although they’d shared so many moments together, something about this one felt so official.  So real.  It was, after all, their first official date, and that fact made it intimidating, but also more exciting than ever before.  They were both so excited and yet so nervous, like teenagers again.  Thus began the small talk.

They talked about trivial things as they both began to settle into these new roles.  A waitress finally appeared and offered them the wine lists and a full bar menu.  They both opted for some alcohol to take the edge off and the conversation began to wander.

“Blake, how did you pull this off!?”, Gwen asked, shaking her head slowly in disbelief.  “Renting out this place...that can’t have been easy!  Or cheap!  And this necklace...custom made!?  The flowers, the limo, you...I honestly can’t imagine anything more perfect in my entire life.”  She reached across the table and grabbed his hand, and with all of the sincerity she could muster, she said, “Thank you.  For being the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met.”

Blake sat across from her, beaming his heart out.

“Gwen, I can’t think of a better person in the whole entire world to be here with right now.  Thank you for agreeing to go on a date with this undeserving hick,” he said, with a smile, throwing in some comedy to balance the serious words he’d just admitted.

“First of all, you are highly underselling yourself.  Second of all, date, huh?”, she said with a smirk.

“I mean…”

“I’m just kidding, you goof.  I just wanted to make it official,” she said, her smile as swollen as her heart was in that moment.  “This is so crazy...I mean, can you even believe us!?” she asked.

“Well, if a guy told me I’d be on a date with Gwen Stefani, the most beautiful human I’ve ever met, inside and out, a year ago, I would’ve said he was bonkers.  But...look at us now.  I mean, look at you!”, he said with a whistle.  “I’ve honestly never met a more perfect person,” he said while stroking her soft hand with his thumb.  “Over the past month, I--”

“I know.  Me too,” Gwen interjected, with a knowing look, and a smile that let him know she knew exactly what he meant.

The two of them sat there for hours in the candle light.  They ate the most delicious food either of them had ever eaten, but neither of them noticed that too much...they were both too wrapped up in each other.  They talked about her boys, about both of their music.  They talked about their pasts, growing up.  What made them, them.  They talked about each of their parents and The Voice and their best times.  But, for the first time, they didn’t talk about their divorces.  Whether it was conscious or not, they had both truly left that part of each of their pasts in the past for the night, and had just focused on each other.  And that, within itself, meant so much.

At the end of dessert (each of them had taken turns feeding a bite of their own to the other), they had drawn and stretched out the evening as much as they could possibly make it last, and Gwen knew, with a sadness, that it was time to go.  They both stood up.

“Well, Blake, thank you so much for tonight, it was--”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me stop you right there, sis.  What makes you think the night is over!?  Come on, have a little more faith in me,” Blake assured her.

“Oh, good, because I was so _not_ ready to go home,” she told him as she looked up toward his face.  “Where to?”

“Oh, Miss Nosey, must you know?”, Blake asked with a tease.  She smiled, with a sarcastically innocent look on her face.  “I’m just kidding.  This part isn’t all that special; I figured we’d just head back to my place for a while.  We can do whatever,” he said, before adding, “To be honest, I just don’t want you to leave, quite yet,” he said as she laughed and leaned into him.  He took her hand, and they walked together out of the restaurant like that before Blake opened the door for her to climb into the limo, which was already waiting for them outside.

“How did I get so lucky?” she asked him, as they sat, thighs touching, fingers intertwined in the back of the limo with the partition up.

“You!?  Damn, Gwen, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?  I am the lucky one, by far, and don’t you ever forget that.”

“Oh, Blake, I swear, you just don’t even begin to understand how special you are,” she said, as she leaned into his shoulder.  They sat, not talking, but in a perfect bliss, for much of the ride.

\------------------------------

“So this is your favorite movie of all time, huh?” Blake asked, as he clicked on the Sound of Music to rent on his television.  They were both sitting on his couch in his living room, and Gwen had changed into another one of his flannel shirts.  He was trying to ignore the fact that, although it was long on her, she was just in her underwear underneath that thing...but damn, that was hard to ignore.  He was in a tee shirt and pajama pants, with a bowl of popcorn in his lap and her hand in his vacant one.

“My absolute favorite.  I could watch it a million times, I swear...I’m probably already halfway there,” she admitted with a laugh.

“God, I haven’t seen it in years,” Blake said.  “But at least I’ve seen it, huh,” he said with a little chuckle.  The movie began and he dimmed the lights and reclined the couch.  They kept the volume low since they’d both seen it before, so that they could still talk, but for a while, they just watched.  Well, she watched the movie, but he did a whole lot of watching her.  It was the most adorable thing, how she knew all of the words to every song, how her eyes would light up during her favorite scenes, how she could quote the movie as it happened, how she would tap her foot to the beat during the music.  That excitement she had for her favorite things; it fascinated him.  And he loved it.  He found himself smiling every time she did, and the movie began to take on a whole new meaning for Blake.

While they were watching, it felt like he was a teenager on a first date all over again; he was already holding her hand, but he was trying to summon the courage to put his arm around her.  He was 39 years old, and he still had to convince himself to do it.

When he finally did, it was worth it because she snuggled right up into him, and wove a leg in between his.  She looked up at him and smiled, adoration in her eyes, and he smiled straight back.  And, all of a sudden, right then, Blake’s lips were on hers.  It started out as just a light kiss, but Gwen changed the game.  She brought her free hand up to his face and held it as she began to deepen the kiss.  Her lips began to part and all of a sudden her tongue was in his mouth, and his arm was pulling her closer, and both of them were moving to a rhythmic passion that neither could break.  She climbed on top of him, without breaking the kiss and sat straddling his lap, as she made out with a passion he’d never felt before.  Their lips moved together, their tongues intertwined and she reached her fingers into his hair and began to massage his scalp, a bit roughly.  His hand moved to her nearly bare ass, as she was still only wearing the flannel, and she felt her panties dampening; she moved higher and the passion of their make out increased until they both couldn’t take it anymore, and she broke away, both of their heart rates accelerated to the max, as they sat, lightly panting, after that kiss that had sent them both to outer space.  She beamed down into his eyes from her position on top of him, her face barely above his.

“Damn,” was all Blake could say.

“Finally,” Gwen said before kissing him again, even rougher than before.  She was starting to feel his erection through his pajama pants from sitting on top of his lap and the thought of him being turned on turned her on even more.  But, she knew that if she didn’t stop now, she probably never would.  So, she pulled away, lightly pecked him on the nose, and slid off his lap, back to her place on his right side, where she fit like a glove into his embrace.  He kissed her on the forehead.

“That was worth a year’s wait,” Blake said, his breath still slightly stolen away by that makeout session.  She just looked back up at him and smiled, and he kissed her lips again, but only lightly, relishing in the knowledge that he’d be able to do this as much as he wanted, for as long as she’d have him.

“Most definitely,” she said, and with that, they’d both admitted to their desires during the ends of their marriages, and neither cared one bit about that fact.

They sat and watched the rest of the movie together, both unable to wipe their incessant grins off of their faces.  When the tops of the mountains appeared for the final time and the credits rolled, Gwen groaned, knowing that she had to leave.  It was 1:00 am, and staying much later was stretching it for a first date.  She laughed, internally, at the fact that she’d spent the night here before, but it was under such different circumstances.  The types of things that had happened on the couch they were sitting on had changed so vastly in just over a month’s time.

Gwen began to stand up, but Blake pulled her back down to the couch, held her down with an iron grip, and buried his head into her stomach, like a little kid, shaking his head and saying,

“Noooooooo no no no, you’re not allowed to leave.  Nope nope nope nope nope,” still shaking his head into her stomach.  He felt her laughter rise as he so ridiculously, half jokingly, held her captive.

“Blaaaake, you know I don’t _want_ to go.  But I _have_ to,” she said, as she pulled his face up and drew him in for a kiss, loving that she could now do that as much as she wanted to.  “I’ll see you super soon, okay, babe?”  

He groaned, exaggeratedly.  “At least let me drive you home,” he said with an exaggeratedly disappointed look on his face that made her laugh even more.  She kissed him once again, just because she could.

“I can just call an Uber, it’s okay,” she said, hugging onto his large frame.

“No, don’t be silly.  No other guy is taking you home tonight,” he said, which elicited another laugh.

“Okayyy Blakey, if you insist.”

“I do,” he said, before kissing the top of her head and separating himself from her to get the car keys.  He walked back over and grabbed her hand, and took her out to the car to drive her home, holding her hand the entire way there.  He walked her up to the door, and pulled her close, grabbing her waist as he kissed her seriously, deeply.  It was different from before; it wasn’t extremely sexual, and it wasn’t just a kiss in passing.  This was a last kiss you shared with someone before you knew you’d have to leave them.  After that last kiss, they’d held onto each other a little bit longer than necessary before she unlocked the door and waved goodbye.

Blake drove home in absolute bliss.  He was on top of the world, and absolutely nothing could change that.  He pulled in the driveway, went upstairs, brushed his teeth and practically fell in bed, where he laid, smiling like an idiot up at the ceiling, unable to wipe that ridiculous grin off of his face.  He heard his phone go off, and he picked it up for the last time that night.

 

**From: Gwen**

**Leaving your house tonight was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.  In my entire life.  I can’t promise that I’ll be able to make it happen again… Thanks for the best night.  Ever.  You are a special man, and I am too lucky.  gx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sooo much for reading! Feel free to comment plot suggestions or requests. All of the support has been wonderful; what an excellent motivator!


	4. Infatuation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen goes back to Blake's house for a surprise visit on a night when the boys aren't at home, and things get quite...serious. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't like smut, I definitely wouldn't read this chapter; but if you do, hopefully, this will lead to some intense Shefani feels!

Gwen had just dropped off the boys at Gavin’s for the night.  She should go home and relax in a bubble bath, or read her favorite book, or make herself some brownies or something, like her kids (and Gavin) probably assumed she would.  After all, she had the entire night to herself.  But, it had been a whole day and a half since she’d last seen Blake.  And that was waaay too long.

She’d thought of the idea in the morning, while she was making herself breakfast.  Or, at least, trying to.  She kept getting sidetracked and would find herself daydreaming, just lost in the memories from two nights ago, and didn’t even realize she was zoning out until one of her better memories was interrupted by the smell of food burning.  She knew that Blake didn’t have any plans for the night, other than to sit at home and watch the Cardinals game, but she decided she wouldn’t let him know that she was also free.  That way, she could surprise him.

Now, she was turning the corner about two minutes from his house, and was physically getting more excited the closer she got. Gwen didn’t know exactly what would happen that night, but that was half of the fun.  And, she’d promised herself that she would enjoy this thing they had going on.  She was just divorced and had been cheated on.  If she wanted to have some fun, as long as it didn’t hurt the kids, she deserved it!  Right?  Besides, she trusted Blake, and she was already beginning to develop really intense feelings for him.  So, she promised herself that she would go with whatever she was feeling, and free fall into the unknown.  It could end terribly, but it was also the only possible way to achieve true bliss.  She hoped it would be worth it, and something inside her told her that it would.

She finally made it to his driveway, parked, and half ran all the way to the doorway.  She rang the doorbell and flashed back to the last time she had done this.  Things had taken such a great turn since then, and she didn’t know what she’d done to deserve that, but she knew that this was exactly where she wanted to be right then.

A scruffy looking Blake answered the door, and the largest smile she had ever seen immediately erupted across his entire face.  She threw herself up into his arms, and he held on tight.  

“Well, hello there!  What are you doing here!? I know you’re blonde, but you must’ve taken quite a few wrong turns to wind up here,” Blake greeted into her ear, still locked in her embrace.

“Oh, shut up!  Is it so wrong that I just wanted to see you,” she mumbled, adorably, into his shirt.

“Only if you don’t stay for a while,” Blake said, still holding her closely in his arms.

“I have the whoooole night,” Gwen told him.  And, with that, Blake whisked her up over his shoulder as she giggled into his back and kicked, telling him to put her down, but not meaning it, in the slightest.  He carried her all the way to his couch, her giggling the whole time, before he set her down gently.  He sat down next to her and she tackled him, climbing on top of his body, which was laying flat on the couch, peppering kisses all over his face while giggling, adorably, the entire time.  She made her way up to his lips and kissed him lightly, before hovering over his face.   Blake laughing up at her, and she smiled ridiculously widely down at him.

As he looked up at her, he couldn’t help but think about just how ridiculously lucky he was.  Gwen was...absolute _perfection_.  It sounded corny, but there was just no other word that fit her better.  Her beauty radiated through her, and whenever they touched, there was a spark, almost like he was touching the sun.  She made him so...complete.  He didn’t realize just what she did to him until he would have to leave her after spending time with her.  Whenever he was away from her, he craved her presence.  His thoughts centered around her during all times of the day and night, whether he was with her or not.  She was becoming almost too important to him, and it had been so long since he’d felt this way about another human being.  It was scary how much his heart was clinging onto her, and it was dangerous, too.  If she changed her mind about him; if she decided that they were better off as just a fling, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to take it.  It would send his mind right back to where he was post-divorce, but, this time, he would have no ray of sunshine to pull him back towards the light.  His downward spiral would likely spiral out of control.  But he had no choice; how could he ever choose to stay away from the person who reminded him that life was worth living?  The person whose gaze ignited a feeling in the pit of his stomach that no one could ever adequately describe with words?  He was in too deep now, way too deep, and all he could do was hope that she wouldn’t let him drown.  She was his life support, and as she lay above him, this cloud of passionate emotion was almost too much to bear.  He sat up, pulling Gwen into his lap, and he looked at her like she was his own personal sun, because she was.

Gwen giggled as she kissed him again, and they watched the Cardinals game together, her weaving her hands through his hair and tracing his body with her fingers, absentmindedly.  It was her first time experiencing a passion of his aside from music, and she was so excited to be there with him, whether she really cared about the team or not.  But, to her surprise, by the end of the game, she found herself fully rooting for the Cardinals, and there was no denying that it was because Blake did, too.  They won the game, and Blake was whooping and hollering like an idiot.  All she could do was laugh at his silliness.  They both realized that neither of them had eaten, so they agreed on some Italian takeout that Blake had delivered.

It was a casual night in, and both of them realized how special that was.  Anyone could enjoy themselves on a super fancy date, but if you could enjoy each other’s company, and not much else, that’s when you knew things were getting quite serious.  They were both sitting on opposite ends the couch, facing each other, and they talked while they ate.

“So, how was your trip to the studio yesterday?” Blake inquired.

“So crazy!  I wrote and recorded a song in, like, three hours.”

“Damn, you must’ve had some pretty effective inspiration,” Blake said with a wink, and they both laughed, Gwen throwing her head back briefly in the process.

“You could say that,” she said, with a huge smile on her face.

“I was just kiddin’,” Blake said, smiling right along with her.

“No, seriously though, the song actually was about you,” Gwen said, not lying one bit.

“Oooh hoo hoo hooooo,” Blake said, in the same manner he frequently did on The Voice.  Both he and Gwen chuckled, lightly.  “I must be pretty dang special,” he joked.

“You know, this past month has been so crazy.  It’s like this channel has opened inside of me, and, somehow, I’m just able to put into words exactly what I’m feeling.  It’s helped that it’s been such an emotional whirlwind--”

“No kidding”

“And this record is going to sound a bit bipolar, I think.  ‘My heart is broken!  I am shattered into nothingness!’ Gwen said like an announcer.  “And then it’s all, ‘I’m so happy!  He makes me so complete!  I’m so blessed!’  Honestly, people will be struggling to keep up.”

Blake smiled.  “Well, whoever that second guy is, I need to find him and beat him up.  He needs to let me have my chance with you,” Blake teased, and she set down her food before climbing over to him, and lounging beside him.

“I don’t want to watch you beat _yourself_ up, cowboy,” she said, teasing him, before going in for a kiss.  Her tone became serious when she said, “I’ve seen you do far too much of that, not too long ago.

Blake put his arm around her and pulled her in close, so that she was snuggling perfectly into his side.  Their faces were so close to each other, but they were just staring into each other’s eyes and talking, afraid to disrupt the beautiful tension between them.

Gwen began to speak, as she felt the mood shifting.  “Look, I know things are going to get complicated, and before long, we are going to get found out and we will have to deal with constant speculation in the tabloids, right after we both just got out of them.  And I have my kids and I’m divorced and so are you and we both have crazy ex’s and I’m actually going to have to deal with mine, all the time.  And we will be on the show together trying to resist the constant urge to make out--”

“Here, here,” Blake interjected, with a flirtatious smile.  She smiled right back, and kept on talking.

“And that will be great, but then we will have to work around touring schedules and you will go back on The Voice without me and I won’t be able to see you so much and it will suck.  I know things are going to get hard.  We can’t be stupid and pretend like they won’t.  But, I just want to let you know that I want this to work.  Whatever ‘this’ is.  Okay?”

“You know, I’ve been thinking about that too.  Things are going to become difficult, and I’ve really mauled over all of that, but I’ve decided I simply don’t care.  When I set my eyes on someone as special as you, ‘complicated,’ alone, isn’t going to push me away.  And, I’m sorry if this is ‘coming on too strong’, or whatever, but I’m in too deep to let you go, at this point,” Blake admitted, receiving a blush and a huge grin from Gwen in return.  “And, I was kind of thinking, I don’t know…”  Blake faded off, not completing his thought, and Gwen interjected.

“No, please, say it.”

“Well, we’re both middle aged divorcees, and both of our lives have been spun upside down and turned all around.  But in all of this, you’ve been my one constant.  I don’t know, I’m kind of thinking we are at the point of ‘oh, what the hell’...I guess I was going to ask if you wanted to make ‘this’ official?”

Gwen giggled as an enormous smile spread across her face.  “Oh, come on cowboy, ask it.”

“Ask what?”

“What you’re _really_ trying to ask here.”

He looked at her in sarcastic disbelief.  “ _Really_?” he asked, drawing it out, a sneaky grin beginning to form. You’re really going to make me ask?”

“Oh, of course I am, cowboy,” she smiled right back.

“Fiiiine,” he breathed in mock annoyance.  He then looked at her, super seriously, grabbed her hand in his, and asked, “Gwen, will you be my girlfriend?”

She sat there for a moment, cocking her head to the side, pretending to think about it.  “Hmmmmm.”

“Come onnnn Gwen,” he said, laughing, and already making his way to her lips.

She laughed.  “Of course, you big dummy!”

“You’re the one who made me ask!” he said before crashing his lips into hers.  It was a kiss of promise, of rejuvenation, of celebration.  They couldn’t seem to get enough of each other; it was so passionate...she was beginning to shift in his arms, his hand was straying to tightly grip her ass.  She sat up and pulled off her tee-shirt, leaving her in a black, lace bra with detailing that moved down her stomach and clearly connected to the other surprise still concealed by her joggers.

“Jesus, God,” Blake got out, before pulling her, quite aggressively, on top of him, and kissing her with a new hunger.  She was still slightly suspended above him, her knees holding her up, as she made out with him and his hands began to explore her back, her shoulders, her breasts. Blake stared up in absolute awe at the goddess suspended above him.  She was even more beautiful than he’d imagined, and he’d imagined her quite frequently.

They were in between intense, passionate kisses, full of moaning and desire, and his erection was already getting out of hand when she moved down his neck with her mouth, expertly kissing and sucking a trail of marks that would surely be there in the morning.

“Fuck, Gwen, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on,” he said, and she giggled in response, her hand sneaking its way down to his bulge.

“Are you sure you want to do this? he asked, not wanting to take advantage of this woman that he didn’t begin to deserve.

“Fuck, Blake, I want you so badly.  I’ve been dreaming about this for a year and I don’t want to wait any longer.”

That did it; he scooped her up, his hands underneath her ass and her arms wrapped around his neck, and he ran the two of them up the stairs before quickly depositing her on the bed and climbing on top of her.  She lay there as it was his turn to do some work on her; he began kissing his way down her neck and left a trail of love until he made it down to her breast, which he had already been fondling around her bra.  He pulled her up, deftly unclipped her bra in the back and threw it across the room, not really caring where it landed.  She pulled off his shirt in the process, and he slammed her back down onto the bed.  He sucked on her nipple, tracing circles around it with his tongue, and she moaned, her back arching beneath him.  He made his way back up to her lips, where he kissed her passionately as she cupped his face in her hand.  He reached his hand down, trailing sparks on her toned stomach where his hands made contact with her skin, and eventually slipped his hand into her pants, rubbing her clit over top of her soaking wet, clearly lace panties.

“Oh God, Blake, don’t tease, I can’t even take it,” she said, breathy and sounding full of lust.

“Mmmm, babe, but that’s half the fun, isn’t it?” he said, before disappearing from her face and pulling off her pants, entirely, throwing them somewhere on the ground.  Then, making eye contact with her, he slowly used his teeth to drag her panties down her legs.  She couldn’t believe how sexy this was and moaned, loudly, as he took his time and stared her right in the eyes.  He then came back up, and slipped his middle finger into her, ever so slowly.

“Oh, Jesus, Blake,” she exclaimed, so relieved to have some of the pressure released.  She was so wet, and he added more fingers and began moving them in and out, slowly, and, as her back arched, he shocked her with a sensation of warmth on her clit that had to be his tongue.  He sucked on it, expertly, while pumping his fingers inside of her; albeit, too slowly, and then eventually he pulled them out, and she watched as he licked them slowly, one by one, before burying his mouth deep within her pussy.  She moaned, loudly, at the first contact, and as he began to suck and flick and twist while rubbing her clit with her thumb, she felt the ecstasy rising inside of her as her hips began to buck into his face and the sensation kept rising and rising until she was screaming, “JESUS, FUCK” at the top of her lungs, and her release was met with him licking her slowly until she had completely passed out on the bed, in absolute awe of the orgasm he just brought her to.

“Holy fuck, Blake, that was...just holy fuck!”

He smiled at the fact that he had just pleased her so well, and laid down next to her, pulling her into him, kissing her mouth sweetly, letting her soak in the orgasm she’d just experienced.

“Watching you come has to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole entire fucking life,” Blake confessed in between kisses.  All of a sudden, she popped up and climbed on top of his flat body, her knees straddling him on either side, right below his bulge that clearly needed some relief.

“Now, it’s your turn, mister,” she said, sexily, while she slowly undid his belt buckle, maintaining eye contact with him while she unbuttoned his jeans and slid them all the way down his legs, slowly, and finally throwing them on the ground.  He looked up at her with such lust in his eyes, and she was enjoying every moment of it.  She was still on top of him, and leaned all the way down, giving him a wet, sloppy kiss, while her right hand began to slide his boxers down his legs, and she felt his erection digging into her leg.  It was enough to make her wet all over again.  She slipped down, and he sat up against the pillows as she positioned herself between his legs and took in the sheer size of his dick.  It was thick and long...way bigger than any she’d ever had before.  The thought of it inside her filled her with so much lust that she could burst.

She kissed the head before slowly licking down the side of it, looking Blake in the eyes as she did.  He had so much lust in his eyes, and that only filled her with more desire.  She took the large cock in her mouth; at first, sliding just the tip inside, then releasing it and making it about halfway down before she decided to see just how much of it she could fit in his mouth.  She came up again, willed her gag reflex to cooperate, and slid all the way down his cock, making it most of the way to his balls.  As his cock brushed up against the back of her throat, she heard a deep moan come from Blake, and she began to suck, moving up and down his cock, her left hand pumping up and down with her mouth and her right fondling his sac.  She moved up and down, faster and faster, and his moans only became more intense until, finally, she could tell he was almost there, but, to her surprise, he pulled away just then.  He roughly flipped her over before pausing, almost asking for permission before they took this enormous step in their new relationship.

“God, Blake, I need you right now,” she said, and he leaned down to kiss her, still being the sweetest man in the world, before she felt his enormous cock slip inside of her.  He pushed it in, slowly, all the way, and the sheer size of it was enough to make Gwen come, but she willed her body to wait.  He began to pump, slowly, but they were both already close to the edge, so that ‘slow’ turned to ‘ferocious’ quite quickly.  Gwen yelled at the top of her lungs as he pushed and pulled, in and out, faster and faster and faster.  He felt so good inside of her, and her body was screaming in pleasure. The friction became too much.  Her hips bucked and she could feel herself tightening around his cock, which led to a loud, passionate moan escaping Blake’s mouth.

“Blake baby, come for me,” she said, and that did it.  She felt his release inside of her, accompanied by a large grunt, and with his last pump, she felt her second release of the night come as well.  They both fell backwards on the bed together, panting, sweating, but with enormous smiles plastered on both of their faces.

Blake breathed out, “Holy--”

“Fuck,” finished Gwen.

He pulled her body, still recovering from that incredible orgasm, close into his bare chest.  He kissed the top of her head, and she responded by planting the most passionate kiss yet onto his mouth.  He wrapped both of his arms around her body, and realized he was holding his entire world in his arms.  The thought threatened to move him to tears, but he fought them as he lay there with the most incredible woman he had ever known.

“Blake, I…”

“I know,” he said, before she could finish the thought.  There was so much they were both experiencing, together and no possible way to put it into words.  It was pointless to try, but they both knew.

“I have to be the luckiest girl on the whole entire fucking planet right now,” she said, with an honest and genuine sincerity that melted his heart.  Like, he had to pull it together and man up to fight the tears that threatened to come.

“Blake, that was my first time, you know, since...well, you’re the first man I’ve been with, since, and I just want you to know that there is no one else in the whole world I would rather be with.”

And with that, there was no stopping the tears.  They began to flow, slowly down his face, as he grinned like an idiot down at the woman who had single handedly saved him.  It was her turn to kiss the tears away.

“Oh, baby, you’re gonna make me cry!” Gwen told him, and, sure enough, her tears out of such genuine happiness appeared.

They laid there for a while, the only two people in the entire world, staring into each other’s wet eyes and not even believing the goodness they found within each other’s.  Eventually, Gwen’s eyes shut, and Blake folded her into his arms, gently, moved the blankets, and laid her down beneath them before taking his place right behind her.  He wrapped both arms around her naked body, and in that moment, holding his entire world in his arms, he didn’t think he’d ever felt more complete.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to comment suggestions, ideas, etc. below. Thank you so much for all of the support! It makes me want to keep writing. And you guys should, too, because I enjoy having some Shefani fanfics to read. I enjoy it very, very much. xo


	5. Mixing Business and Pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Blake and Gwen to go back to filming The Voice, and that means they have to deal with the wrath of the teasing Adam.

A couple of days after Gwen and Blake spent their first night together, their commitments of spending all day filming for The Voice resumed.  Gwen was beyond excited to have an excuse to spend so many hours with her new boyfriend (oh, how she loved being able to call him that), even if it was around thousands of watching eyes.  When it was just the two of them, things had been, well, they’d been beyond fantastic.  Gwen felt whole again, and she felt so incredibly lucky to have Blake by her side.  He was the biggest gentleman she’d ever met, but he saved that part of himself specifically for her, which she found to be the most adorable thing on the entire planet.  No one else got to see him like that, and that’s what made it so genuine and special.  The rest of the time, he was his goofy, joking self, which she enjoyed just as much.  

During the past year, with what was going on in her life, Blake’s presence had been like her own personal drug.  He was the only one who could make her laugh until her stomach hurt, and smile to the point of a headache.  So, she had stuck to him like a magnet, always trying to chase that high that she could only feel around him.  

Things had changed since then; he still made her laugh like no one else could, but now, she was happy, all the time.  The best part was, no matter who was with her in that moment, it was still because of him, whether he was around or not.  He had given her the courage to seek happiness again.  He’d showed her that she still deserved that, and that had saved her in ways that incredible man would never know.

But, despite all of this, Gwen was a bit...worried.  Perhaps it was just the insecurities from her failed marriage talking, but, now that they had made things official, it was almost as if… well, once you had something, there was the possibility of it being taken away.  She had this incredible happiness with Blake, and she was going to try her damndest to make their relationship work.  But, once it was underneath a media microscope, things changed...you had to step outside of your perfect little fantasy world and start to open back up to real life.  In real life, there were so many things that could disrupt her happiness.  And, now that they had made it official, she had begun the transition out of her safe, fantasy world that only involved the two of them, and started to move straight back out into the real world.  It was a big step for them, and she was so glad they had taken it, but she couldn’t help but be a little bit nervous.

The tabloids would, no doubt, go insane, and probably accuse them both of cheating on their former spouses with each other and make up so many crazy things that she just didn’t want to deal with.  Their situation was pretty unbelievable, even to Gwen...how crazy was it that they had found such solace in each other during the hardest times of their lives, and that that had turned into a relationship?  Yes, the media would certainly not immediately accept their own little fairytale happy ending.  Of course, like always, they would reject that things could’ve worked out so perfectly and throw their own opinion into the pot, where it most definitely wasn’t wanted.

Sometimes, it felt like real love couldn’t exist in Hollywood.  People were constantly falling in and out of love, and she felt that a lot of that came from the pressure of having to be “perfect” all the time when the whole world was watching.  But, she’d thought that she’d escaped all of that, that she’d “beat the system” with Gavin.  Maybe that’s why it took her so long to let go of her marriage...she thought they’d be the ones to make it.  But, in the end, even Gwen had fallen victim to Hollywood. You couldn’t afford to make your own mistakes, or be human, or show any amount of normal emotion without some new story coming out about you trying to explain your feelings for the entire world to see.  And they were almost always wrong, but sometimes they were right, and that might have been even scarier.  When your own emotions weren’t even yours, alone, anymore...what else was left to call your own? 

Gwen often wished that she could leave her job at work when she came home for the day, like the vast majority of people on the whole fucking planet did.  All she wanted to do was make music, but her entire life had to become part of that occupation, so that people could become obsessed with her.  She was grateful for fans, of course... without them, she wouldn’t even have any value.  But, that was scary too...your value in life was determined by people who had never even met you and who were constantly under the influence of the media, which told them things about you that you couldn’t control, and a lot of those people (a scary amount) believed the absolute bullshit the media made up.  

Being with Gavin was a bit simple, in a way…he knew what being famous was like, to an extent.  Gwen pretty much had assumed that people in Hollywood only dated each other because no one else could understand, or deal with, their lifestyle for the sake of a relationship, alone.  Being thrust into the public eye was a scary thing.  But, Gavin was already accustomed to that lifestyle when they had gotten together, and he knew how to deal with the shit that came along with being famous.  But...it sounded awful, but his band was still stuck in the nineties.  No one really cared about Gavin Rossdale anymore, and that fact, alone, had kept her relationship out of the media the vast majority of the time.  It wasn’t like “Brangelina”, who could make the front cover for going to the grocery store with their kids (well, not really, but it felt like that sometimes).  

But, with Blake, her relationship would be different...he was actually incredibly popular.  Especially in the country music world, whose loyal fans latched onto you like a leech and never let you go.  In the best way.  Gwen was now going to be thrown into that world, where the fans were more passionate than anywhere else, and, of course, it had to be right after Blake had divorced one of the biggest females in country music.  Fans would, most likely, not all jump on the “bandwagon” of their relationship.  And, that really shouldn’t matter, and Gwen knew that...but it still did, at least a little bit.  She was still sensitive from all of the shit that had already happened that year.  But, she wanted it to work so, so damn much.

The feelings she had for Blake were indescribable, and she hadn’t felt anything like it in years.  Their first time having sex had only solidified that fact...damn, he automatically seemed to know exactly what she liked in bed.  Without her even having to tell him.  It was crazy; she couldn’t even retain her composure enough to still seem like that strong, confident, sexy woman whose persona she always got across.  No, at the mercy of Blake, she was just a shred of human life reduced to primal tendencies and pleasure, and she didn’t mind that one bit.  Her sex life hadn’t been great in a long time...she’d always been tired, from taking care of the kids. And, whenever she and Gavin did do it, it had just been to get it over with.  He had never worshipped her body like Blake did, never took the time to tease her with touches until she was absolutely begging for relief.  The way Blake treated her like a princess in bed...she should’ve realized so long ago that that was what a real relationship was and should be.  Women weren’t toys or just an instrument used for sexual relief; they deserved to be treated for the goddesses they were.   And Blake gave her that, and more.

Ever since that night, he had let her know how much she meant to him, whether it be in sweet texts, through voicemails, or even that brief (and nude) conversation they’d had on FaceTime.  She’d enjoyed that one very, very much.  Her self esteem was in healthier shape than it had been in eons, and she didn’t think he even knew he was doing that, or how important it was.  You couldn’t love someone else well if you didn’t know how to love yourself, and Blake was doing the most incredible job of reminding her of that.  She absolutely adored the way he looked at her like she was a gift from the heavens, and she knew that he was just absolutely smitten, and not ashamed of that in the slightest.  She actually liked it better like that, when men weren’t afraid to show that they were all-in for a woman.  It was so much more special than a guy always concerned with feeling macho, and afraid to damage his ego by making his woman feel special.  Honestly, they didn’t know how much excellent sex they were missing out on… If you worshipped your woman, she felt so much more into those bedtime activities, and that was a lesson Gavin needed to learn.

Gwen didn’t realize how broken her self image was until she started to see herself through Blake’s eyes.  He was, single-handedly, saving her from her own prison inside her head.  That was why she was growing worried...things were so incredible, and the thought of that changing as they threw themselves out, vulnerably, into the public eye, absolutely terrified Gwen.  But, that was the true test of a relationship.  And she was proud as hell to call him her boyfriend, and it was time for her friends to know who had turned her life around.  For now, though, they were still their own little secret; that was, until everyone found out.  And she had a feeling that would start today.

She arrived at the studio bright and early, and half-heartedly attempted to resist the urge to run straight up to Blake...but that attempt was futile.  She immediately found herself in his trailer, tackling him into a huge bear hug, before he swiftly, and oh-so-sexily, slammed her against the wall and kissed her with passion that left her seeing stars.  His hands began to creep up her short dress as they made out, and he picked her up and sat down with her on the couch.

“Jesus, it’s so good to see you,” he said, while nipping at her earlobe.

“You’re telling me,” she said, as she began to grind into his lap from her position on top of him.

Blake moaned deeply, with a masculinity that only added to the moisture in Gwen’s painties, and said, “Oh darlin’, you better stop now, because I’m not sure I’ll be able to if we go much further.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to stop,” she said, and he was prepared to go all in, when they heard a knock on Blake’s trailer door.

Gwen immediately lunged off of his lap to sit, innocently (well, she  _ tried _ to look innocent), on the other end of the couch, running her fingers through her hair and trying her best to look as though she and Blake weren’t just about to have sex.

“Hey Blake,” a voice from behind the door that clearly belonged to Adam began to say as the knob turned, “do you know--” he stopped himself as he saw that Gwen was also in the room.  “Oooh, hello to you too, Miss Stefani,” he said, smirking, as she tried her hardest not to blush.  It didn’t work.  “Sorry to interrupt,” he said with a wink and a smirk that let both of them know he knew exactly what was going on.

“Hey, Gwen and I were just--”

“Sitting and talking?  Uh huh, I’m sure,” he said as he stepped back outside the trailer.  “Might want to get some of that lipstick off of your lips before you go anywhere, cowboy,” Adam smirked before closing the door and leaving the trailer.

Gwen and Blake sat, in silence, for two seconds before they both erupted in laughter.

“Oh, Jesus, things around here are about to get interesting,” Blake said, as Gwen stood up, gave him one last peck on the lips, smiling, and moved toward the doorway.

“I’ll see you later, babe,” she said as she walked out, with a sexiness that didn’t help the raging hard on Blake was still suffering from.

Gwen was just sitting in her trailer, applying her basic makeup for the day before the team came in to do the rest, when Adam came in.

“Knock knock,” he said, with a huge grin on his face as he plopped straight down in the chair right next to her.  “So, come on, tell me,” he said, acting sarcastically like a little kid at story time, his hands clapping quickly.

“Tell you what?” Gwen said, trying, and failing, to be nonchalant about it.

“I hear you’ve been sleeping with my boyfriend,” Adam said, with a fake angry look on his face.

“Jesus, he told you that!?  Why would he--”

“Wait, you two have actually...holy shit!”

“Wait, hold on…I’m getting lost here.  Didn’t you just say--”

“Blake didn’t tell me shit!  I was just kidding...I had no idea...Jesus, you two!  Hopping right back on the horse!” Adam said, shaking his head slowly, and laughing to himself.

Gwen covered her face in her hands, embarrassed.  “Oh God, I didn’t mean to, like, tell you that…”

“Gwen, it’s fine.  No need to get all embarrassed about it; you guys are seriously my best friends.  Now spill!” Adam said, still sitting there, expectantly.

“Well, we--” Gwen began, not knowing exactly what she was going to tell him, when she was interrupted by the door to her trailer opening, once again.  This time, Pharrell walked in.

“Hey Gwen, oh, and Adam.  What’s up?”

“Just getting all of the juicy details from Gwen,” Adam said, sarcastically acting like a kid again, as Gwen buried her smiling face in her hands once again.

“Ooooh, I’ve been waiting to hear this since we were here last time,” Pharrell said, plopping down on the couch behind them.  “What have I missed?”

“Well,--” Adam began, before Gwen cut him off.

“Not too much.  Adam just came in here, like, two minutes ago.”

“Mmmm hmmmmm, and it turns out, they’ve already…” Adam continued with dirty hand motions and facial expressions that made everyone mildly uncomfortable, but it was still hilarious.

“You guys did what!?” exclaimed Pharrell.  “Wow, that moved a lot faster than I expected.  Although, with the way you two have been making googly eyes at each other so far...when we are in our coaching chairs, I swear I don’t exist between you sometimes,” he laughed off.

“Adam was  _ never _ supposed to find that out...he just tricked me into spilling it!” explained Gwen.

“Never!?  Come on.  And I didn’t trick you; you told me of your own accord, Miss Stefani,” Adam said, clearly pleased with himself.

“So, what, are you two like an item now?” asked Pharrell.

“Well…” said Gwen, as both boys cracked up hysterically.

“You are!  Aww you two lovebirds made it official; this is the best damn day of my life.  I’m gonna go tease the shit out of Blake for this one,” Adam said, still shaking from laughter.

Right then, Blake walked in the trailer as well.  “Hey, babe--” he started, throwing his head back when he saw that Adam and Pharrell were in there, too, as they interrupted his words by cracking up, hysterically (Pharrell’s face was in his hands, and Adam was doubled over at the stomach), as Gwen sat in her chair, shaking her head slowly and smiling, mouthing “sorry” in an almost apology, right back at Blake.  He chuckled, smiling, as Pharrell and Adam still couldn’t keep it together.  He backed toward the door, smirking, with a blush spread across his entire face.

“Bye,  _ babe _ ,” Adam yelled, resulting in more laughter from all of them.

“Jesus, I’ll see you two fuckers later,” he said, still laughing, as he closed the door, leaving.

Adam and Pharrell were still laughing too, although it was slowing down.

“You two…” Gwen started, “don’t give him such a hard time!”

“Aww, are you defending your _ boyfriend _ ,” Adam said, yet resulting in even more laughs from Pharrell and himself.  “Isn’t he just excellent in bed?” Adam asked, him and Pharrell unable to hold it together.  “I mean, I would know.”

“Oh, my God, Adam!” Gwen exclaimed, blushing to the max.

It took a while, but Adam finally found his composure, and began to speak with a more sincere tone.  “Seriously though, of course I’m gonna give him shit.  It’s what I do.  But, honestly, if you’re happy, and he’s happy, then I’m happy.”

“Me too.  It’s been so long since I’ve seen you smile the way I see you do around him, and Adam and I have been placing bets on this for a long time,” Pharrell said, them all chuckling at that.

It was then that Gwen’s makeup team began to come in the door, and Adam and Pharrell took that as their cue to leave, still laughing and lightly tapping each other while relishing in their new shared knowledge.

Adam burst into Blake’s trailer, and Blake turned to see him with a smile, which turned into a frown, and then quickly resulted in a laugh from both of them.

“You idiot, you thought I was Gwen, didn’t you,” Adam teased, still chuckling.

“Well, I mean I kind of hoped it wasn’t  _ your _ ugly face,” Blake said back, teasing him.

“Now it’s your turn to spill!” Adam said, as he sat down and looked up at Blake, sarcastically expectantly, Adam resting his elbow on his knee and propping his face on top of his hand, like an excited child.

“Jesus, I knew that you would be the worst part of this whole thing--”

“You mean  _ best _ ,” Adam corrected.

“No, you fuckin’ idiot,” Blake retorted, laughing.  “Why did you bombard Gwen!?  You should’ve just bothered me about it.”

“Nah, I already know all of the details from you.  ‘Gwen is  _ so _ beautiful, do you think  _ I’d _ ever have a shot at  _ her _ ?’  ‘Help me come up with the  _ perfect _ date for  _ Gwen _ ’, blah blah blah,” Adam teased, eliciting a slightly embarrassed laugh from Blake.

“I mean, can you blame me though?  How the hell she agreed to go out with me, I’ll never understand,” Blake said.

Adam stopped laughing and said, “Oh, Blake.  Look, I know I tease you all the time.  It’s what I do.  But even I can admit that you’re an awesome dude, and Gwen is lucky to be able to have you in her life.  You’ve really turned it around, you know?  I don’t know, man, that’s a pretty special thing.  And she’s making you pretty happy, too, from what I can see,” Adam said, with a rare sincerity in his voice.

“God, I don’t know, I just want this to end well, you know?” said Blake.

“I mean, you’ve already slept together…”

“JESUS Adam!” Blake responded, them both laughing uncontrollably.

“So you must be doing something right,” Adam said, as he stood up, moving toward the door.  “You get that girl, cowboy,” Adam smirked before slipping out the door.

During filming that day, all four coaches were extra rowdy; Pharrell and Adam laughed more than usual, and Gwen and Blake would interact sweetly and then remember how many other people were in the room, before both blushing and turning away from one another.  Of course, that resulted in more teasing from Pharrell, and, especially, Adam.  The four of them were all in on something that would soon rock the world, and all of them were enjoying every second of it.

After they wrapped up filming for the day, Blake stepped into Gwen’s trailer and snuck up behind her while she was washing her face, wrapping his arms around her waist and peppering kisses all up her neck, before nuzzling her ear, which resulted in series of giggles from Gwen.  She dried off and turned toward her cowboy, hugging him tightly and pressing the tip of her nose into his.

Gwen began, “Well, today was…”

“Hell?” answered Blake, just kidding.  They both laughed and he kissed her briefly.  “Nah, I’m just kidding.  It’s actually kind of nice, now that Pharrell and Adam know.  Although, I wasn’t expecting them to know  _ everything _ ,” he said, his eyebrows raising.

“I know, I wasn’t either!  Adam manipulated it out of me!” she laughed into his shoulder.

“That’s okay; now Adam can’t tease me as much because now I have this sexy woman in my life,” he said, squeezing her ass in the process.

“Oh, stop,” she giggled, bashfully.

“No, you’re sexy and you should know that,” he said, sucking marks into her neck.

“Well,  _ my _ sexy cowboy, how would you like to come over for the night?”

Blake’s eyebrows raised and he cocked his head, still gazing into her chocolate brown eyes.  “Is that an invitation to have incredible, mind-blowing sex with you, you naughty naughty girl?” he said.  “Because I will  _ never _ say no to that,” he said, as she giggled, and he passionately made out with her.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the trailer, towards the cars.  They walked, hand in hand, the whole way there, not even noticing the amounts of stares they were receiving from the work crew as they were so lost in each other’s eyes.  Like, Blake almost ran into a pole before Gwen noticed and pulled him away in the nick of time, them both laughing at how much of a clumsy idiot he became around her.

They had to separate when they got to the cars, as they had drove separately there, but the thought of Blake being absolutely alone with Gwen within twenty minutes was enough to persuade him to let go of her.

Once they arrived at Gwen’s house, they walked inside together, and Gwen began, “Do you want a drink?  I have--” before Blake interrupted her by shoving her against the wall, and kissing her with a desire that had built up all day.

“Gwen Stefani,” he began, in between the marks he was sucking on her breasts.  “I have been waiting to be alone with you  _ all.  Day.  Long. _ ”

She melted into his kisses, her knees giving out as his hand began to creep up her dress.  He picked her up, her knees on either side of his hips, and pressed her even harder against the wall, his erection directly in line with her pussy, which was already sopping wet.  She moaned with such ecstasy that he became even more hard, if that was even possible.

“Blake, take me upstairs,” she said, the arousal building faster than she could handle.  He did, and threw her on the bed, yet again, and they began their second night of passionate, intense sex.  This time, it quite literally left Gwen in tears from the pleasure of her orgasm.

As they lay there when it was over, their bodies intertwined in every possible way, in absolute bliss, it became clear to Gwen that once they became public to the whole world, things would be okay.  It would always be okay, as long as she was in his arms.  It was cheesy, but she didn’t care.  With him in her life, she felt like she could do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Feel free to comment, as usual. To be honest, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be writing, but I can still take suggestions!


	6. In Sync

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A misunderstanding leads to a bout of jealousy and a huge fight. Can the love Gwen and Blake have for one another withstand the fear?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! It's been WAY too long! I've been struggling to come up with concepts for stories, but I was hit with a huge bout of inspiration this morning. It turns out that a rainy day in a beach house is the perfect medium to write this type of a story in! I hope you enjoy! Please comment suggestions.

It had been a couple of weeks since Adam and Pharrell had found about the two of them. Gwen was fairly certain that they were the only ones who were in the loop; she thought Carson probably had gotten wind that something had been going on, but, other than that, the cast, crew, and world were all oblivious to the love affair between Gwen and her cowboy. This was nice; she and Blake didn’t yet have to be plastered all over the tabloids, but it wasn’t as though they were scared of the world knowing, anymore. Once they had been photographed, they’d out themselves. But, in the meantime, it had been nice to be in their own little world with the people they loved most the only insiders as to what had changed each of their lives. It had been a couple of days since Gwen had last seen Blake, and, although she absolutely loved spending time with her boys, she was so ready to spend time with the new man in her life. And, conveniently, The Voice had tapings, bright and early. Today, Gwen had absolutely no problem jumping out of bed as soon as her alarm went off.

She wasted no time and was walking (running) to the trailers, and pleasantly noted that Blake was in his already. His lights were on and his curtains were open, so she could see him and his handsomeness inside. He was sitting in his chair in front of the mirror, but he wasn’t alone; his stylist was in the trailer, as well. She was running her fingers through his hair with some gel, but taking her own damn time, almost caressing his head in the process. She was laughing, excessively, and doubled over so that her face was nearly touching his shoulder. Blake was funny, of course, but although Gwen couldn’t hear what they were laughing about, Gwen highly doubted it was that funny. And, the way his stylist looked at him… Blake was shirtless, and shortly after the brunette stylist finished his hair, she grabbed his shirt and proceeded to have him stand up as she put. It. On. Him. He turned to face her, and she began to button it for him, one by one, hands lingering far, far too long. The woman reached the top, her facial expression changing as she went, and she grabbed his collar...and pulled Blake in...and kissed him.

Gwen was seething. Tears exploded out of her like she forgot that they could, and she ran into her trailer and slammed and locked the door, not ready to see anyone else in the entire world.

If she had stayed, she would’ve seen Blake pull back, immediately. She would’ve seen the look of disgust on his face as he backed away, very quickly, and asked the stylist why she felt she had the right to do that. And, if she could hear the conversation, she would’ve heard Blake telling that he had a girlfriend...a gorgeous, wonderful, kind-hearted girlfriend. And...she would know that as Gwen had turned and run away, he’d caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye from outside the window, and had watched her slam the door and put two and two together. She would’ve known that he began to cry as he thought about what she must be thinking.

But, she didn’t stay. She couldn’t...she couldn’t even process what the hell was going on. She ran all the way back to her trailer (luckily no one had seen her) and laid down on her bed in her trailer and began to let the depression reclaim her; she began to fall back into the abyss of betrayal that Blake had pulled her out of. This time, she didn’t know if she would ever make it out.

She just couldn’t stop seeing it. Blake was hers, he was supposed to be hers, he was supposed to be good and faithful and loving and he was supposed to be the forever that she’d never found before (even if she hadn’t known that was what she wanted until this moment). The sobs began to wracked her body, and she wasn’t sure if she was going to throw up, or pass out, or both.

Blake had seen her out of the corner of his eye and rushed over to her trailer as soon as he’d realized what was going on. He could hear her heart breaking as she cried, and his heart broke for her. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what he would feel like if their situations had been reversed and he hated the universe for making her think that he would ever, ever do this to her. This was not what he wanted, not what he planned. It was supposed to be easier, simpler. He had to, had to let her know that this was all such a stupid misunderstanding. Like, now. He couldn’t handle listening to her sobbing while being the reason for it for another second. He tried to open the door, in a rush, and found that it was locked. He began to bang on the door.

“Gwen? Gwen! Please come open up!”

Gwen heard faint banging over her cries and she sat up. They didn’t relent, not once, but she had no idea who it could possibly be. She figured it must be someone important from production or something, and figured that getting fired wasn’t something she could handle right now, so she walked to the door, hardly even having the will to attempt to make herself look put together. Her new hopes had just been shattered, and she had absolutely no idea how to even begin to deal with it. She just felt so numb.

She opened the door, and immediately began to slam it as the rage and sorrow from seeing his face rushed through her in a fresh wave of burning.

“Gwen! No, st--” Blake began, before she slammed the door in his face.  
Gwen sunk to the ground behind the door, and melted into a puddle of nothingness, her face in her hands as her knees shielded her from the world.

“Gwen! Please, I’m begging you,” Blake was saying with a desperation that would’ve broken Gwen’s heart if he hadn’t already succeeded in doing so that day.

“I don’t want to talk to you! GO AWAY!” Gwen yelled, not able to articulate any other words. The sobbing started again.

Blake put his back to the door, leaning on it, running his fingers through his hair in frustration and began to tear up. He knew that the reason she was being like this was his fault, but it still hurt so badly. They were each on one side of the same closed door, crying and alone, and Blake began to wonder if things could ever be worse. He began to bang on the door again, and realized it was unlocked, as Gwen had forgotten to re-lock it in her rush of sorrow. He pushed hard on the door, forcing it open a little just so that he could squeeze through before she knew what was happening. But, from the looks of it, she wouldn’t have had the strength to stop him, anyways. The Gwen he knew has disintegrated into a pile of tears, and he couldn’t help but be a little bit flattered that the thought of losing him did this to her. He felt absolutely terrible and it broke his heart...but, he’d had a hard time believing that she could care for him as much as he did for her (she was the definition of perfection), but here was his proof that she did. Mascara was streaming down her face, she was red from crying and shaking and he was terrified that he couldn’t fix this.

“Blake! How could you...I don’t want to see you...go away go away goawaygoaway,” she kept muttering as she was still curled up into a ball on the floor. He knew he had to try and explain...so he scooped her up, as she tried to get away, and carried her to the couch where he held her firmly.

“Gwen Renee Stefani, listen to me,” he began as he pried her hands from her face. “Look at me. Baby, please, just look at me,” he said as she struggled to avoid eye contact. She finally did, for a split second, before the tears started flowing again. Her eyes were filled with such darkness that it scared him.

She was so scared, because even though he was the one who had just hurt her, she realized that the only arms in the world that could comfort her were his. She shouldn’t want to be in his lap right now with him comforting her as she cried, and so she tried to stand up and get away, but he gently stopped her. He lifted her face to meet his eyes with such tenderness that she began to cry again.

“Babe, I...what you saw, that was absolutely a mistake. An accident. I had no clue that she was even into me, at all, and when she kissed me I was absolutely disgusted. Trust me, I told her she had no business doing that ever again. I told her...Gwen, I told her about my girlfriend...my beautiful, wonderful, kind, loving girlfriend whom I could never, ever intentionally betray. Because she means too much to me,” Blake says as he cups her face in his hand. “You mean too much to me. Baby...I’m so, so sorry that you saw that. I can’t even imagine what you just went through...God knows I’d be an even bigger wreck in your shoes.” He kissed her forehead as her tears began to subside into sniffles. “Please trust me, Gwen, please. The thought of losing you...I...I wouldn’t even know how to get out of bed in the morning. Baby, I’m not him. I’m not. I promise that I will never, ever do to you what he did. I swear on my life.”

“Blake…”

“Gwen! Please,” Blake said, sounding desperate, “I...I’m beginning to fall in love with you. I am. And, I need you to know that you mean so much more to me than that other silly girl ever could. You light up my life, you give me purpose. Hell, Gwennie...you saved me. I could never show you just how much you mean to me, but I swear that if you’ll still have me, I will try to show you everyday for as long as you’ll allow me to. And, even then.”

Blake sat there, not knowing what else to say, but in absolute agony. He was trying to read her face for a sign...for anything. Any second she didn’t speak just filled him with more despair. Finally, she began to open her mouth.

“Blake...maybe this...us...isn’t a good idea,” she said, hardly more audible than a whisper.

“Gwen! What the--”

“No, just listen to me. Okay? You know what I just realized? I am still so, so fragile. It only took that moment to restore me to the version of myself that I was before you. My heart is so fragile--”

“But it won’t happen again! Gwen--”

“No Blake, that’s the problem. Maybe this exact moment won’t happen again, but I can’t feel like this every time we get in a fight. I won’t live. I can’t handle it, I can’t handle this. We are a fire together, but fire is dangerous. It can consume you and turn you into nothingness. This is too much for me...Blake, I need to learn to be alone. I need to not be with someone who can break me this easily. Our love is too strong and I am still too weak.”

“Gwen! Please--” he begged, “please. Listen to yourself. You’re saying we are in love and you’re saying that you care about me, and, damn it, you know how much I care about you. Why should anything else matter if all of that is true?”

“I can’t be at your mercy. My happiness can’t depend on your existence. Because, someday, you’re going to hurt me, and I can’t go back to where I was. We are a bomb waiting to go off...we are too different, and the longer we ignore it, the worse it’s going to be when that forces us apart.” She sounded like a ghost to Blake, not at all like herself.

“Gwen, you’re not thinking clearly--”

“No Blake, for the first time in years, I finally am,” she said with a venom that made his eyes finally burst. She stormed out the door, and left him alone, and he, too, began to fall back into the abyss that had claimed him before. This time, there was no one there to pull him out.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The second she’d left, she had felt her heart shatter. Again. For her, for Blake, for her crappy, crappy circumstances. She half sprinted to her car, texted one of the executives that she just couldn’t handle filming today, and cried all the way home to her house where she was alone. There was no one inside to be found. What a fucking pathetic metaphor.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Adam who found him.

“Hey, dude, did you hear that the taping was cancelled? Something about--” Adam began as he walked in the door and then stopped, dead in his tracks. “Whoa...what the fuck happened?”

Blake was curled up into a ball on the couch, his surroundings stained with tears, his hair an absolute mess. But, this time, there weren’t drinks everywhere.

Adam’s eyes began to fill with rage. “What the FUCK did she do!? Oh my god, I’m going to kill her. I told her, I told her that if she did this to you...Jesus, Blake, at least look at me!” he yelled.

“It was my fault for being stupid enough to think she could ever love someone like me in the first place. It’s my own fucking fault,” began Blake.

“Blake,” Adam began as he sat on the couch next to Blake’s head, “when will you understand that anyone would be absolutely lucky to have you? This is not your fault, this isn’t your fault at all.”

Blake sat up. “Dude, my makeup artist kissed me today. Out of nowhere. Well, maybe not out of nowhere, but, I don’t know man, I wasn’t paying attention! I honestly don’t notice any woman besides Gwen, I mean, why would I, but now…” he began before he was reduced to tears again. Adam rubbed his back. “But, anyways, I guess Gwen saw, and I told her that it was just a huge misunderstanding, and we were both crying, and then she turned it into this huge thing about how we could never work and I had too much power to break her, or whatever, and then she just left. She was so...she was seething. And I was just not expecting this when I woke up this morning, man, I just…” Blake began as he started to cry into Adam’s shoulder.

“Blake...maybe she’s just not good enough for you, maybe--”

“Adam, honestly, she’s the most amazing woman in the entire universe. I know that even you can’t be that big of a dipshit,” he laughed, bitterly, tears still running down his face.

“Okay, yes, she’s awesome and gorgeous and whatever, but Blake...if she’s just gonna walk out when things get a little tough...dude, maybe it’s time to just be single for a while.”

“Dude, this is once in a lifetime. She is once in a lifetime.”

“Okay, okay. Yes, she is pretty fucking incredible, but…”

“No, can you please just let me leave and go to her house? Now?”

“Blake, no. You can’t keep chasing her. Just let her come to you.”

“But Adam...what if she doesn’t?” Adam never answered.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Gwen was in her bathtub, and her tears just kept flowing, but at least they could just drip into the bathtub. She was listening to Blake’s music...she didn’t know why she did this to herself; they melted her into a pile of butter and then she just missed him even though she kept telling herself that she didn’t. It sucked so much...she was finally starting to be happy again and she thought--well she knew it was stupid and early but--she thought she’d finally found her forever; the one person that she’d always dreamed of being with who would love her every single day and cherish her and let her know how special she was. He was everything she never knew she needed, and finally it seemed as if God was making up for her shitty marriage, and then, in a flash it was gone again. It was such a tease; as soon as she thought she’d found love, it was gone. Why was she always so unlucky in love?

Maybe it was her fault. After all, she had been the one to pull the trigger. She really did believe that the whole kiss situation was an accident on Blake’s part; he honestly wasn’t the cheating type, especially since he’d just been cheated on. But, she’d run anyways, and she’d hurt him...badly. It was just...it scared her, how much she already felt for him. She had been high off of the happiness he gave her, and then once he was gone, her low was terrifying. It couldn’t be healthy to have your mental state dependent on someone else. He was building up her self esteem, was making her feel loved and beautiful, and she’d forgotten that she could be all of those things. She knew that she could do it on her own if she had to, but what if she didn’t want to?

\------------------------------------------------------

She sped, and then she sped some more. Honestly, speeding tickets didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she fixed this. She arrived at The Voice studio in a record time of 17 minutes, but she didn’t see his car in his designated parking spot. So, she sped to his house. He wasn’t there, either. She desperately needed to find him, to fix this. She knew the one person who would definitely know where Blake was, and called him.

“What do you want,” he asked, with annoyed anger underlying his voice.

“Just tell me where he is. Please.”

“Gwen, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Adam, I swear to God…”

“Don’t you think he’s been hurt enough in the last year? I should’ve told him to wait, to stay away from you.”

“No, I--”

“Honestly, how did you not know what you had with him?”

“Adam. Levine. Just tell me where he is.”

“Where do you think?”

“Are you really not gonna tell me?”

“Don’t fucking hurt him again.”

“I just want to fix this!”

“Well, honestly, he told me he was going to his house, but I wouldn’t be that shocked if he ended up at yours. I told him not to fucking bother…”

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou,” she said before she swiftly hung up and pulled out of the parking lot. She should’ve guessed where a man as amazing as him could be.

\--------------------------------------------------------  
When he’d gotten to her house, he ran up to her door, and almost knocked, but found it unlocked. So, he just slipped in and began to search for her. He looked everywhere, absolutely everywhere, before realizing that her keys were gone. She wasn’t home, but she’d have to come home, eventually, and he would be waiting for her when she got there. It had been an hour and...nothing. But he knew that, whether it took ten hours, eventually, she’d have to come home.

\-------------------------------------------------------

She started to cry (again) as she pulled into her driveway and saw that his truck was there, just as Adam had predicted. She honestly didn’t deserve him. But, she needed to see him. So, she snuck in the front door, and walked into the living room, where she could see the back of his head sitting on the couch. He was wearing that adorable cap on his head. She began to walk toward him and he turned his head.

“Gwen,” he began as he stood up.

“Blake,--”

“No, let me talk.” He stood and she was standing and they were so far away and she just wanted to close the gap, but she was so afraid of what he might say.

“You’re waiting for me to back away, you’re waiting for me to leave and to turn into that man that hurt you. When are you going to realize that I’m not him? I could never be. You think that if you push for one second then I’m just going to relent. I know you think you’re hard to love, but it’s never been easier for me to love anyone. You’re so scared of being happy because you think it’s temporary, but when are you going to realize that it doesn’t have to be? So what, you’re fragile. Guess what? I’m fragile too. Gwen...we can be fragile together. I...I don’t know what else to say,” he finished, looking at the ground, and a bit defeated.

He didn’t notice as she closed the gap between them until all of a sudden, her eyes wild, her lips were on his. “I’m sorry...I just needed to reclaim what is mine,” she said when she was done, tears flowing down both of their faces as hope returned to both of them. “Baby, come sit with me,” she said, holding his hand and pulling them both on the couch.

“You probably don’t know this, but while you were here waiting for me, I was at the lot and your house looking for you,” she said sweetly and smiled, and he smiled back. “I realized that, even if you’re occasionally the one who breaks me, even then, you’re the only one who can put me back together. I love you more than life and I need you, Blake, I need you in my life. You are my answer, and I was so stupid to let you go. And, you’re right...I’m scared. I’m scared of a lot of things. But you--you give me strength. We can fall apart together and then pick up the pieces...together.”

He cupped her face, new tears flowing lightly down his face, but this time, tears of hope and rejuvenation. “Don’t you scare me like that again,” he said, sweetly. “And try not to be so afraid of this. I’m not going away, no matter what you do,” he reassured her.

“Where have you been all my life? I most certainly do not deserve you, Blake Tollison Shelton,” she said as she moved in closer.

“You’ve got that all backwards babe,” he responded, love in his voice.

“So, can we skip to the part where you kiss me now?” she asked, smirking.

“I think I might be able to make that happen,” he said as she giggled. He pulled her onto his lap and held the entire world in his arms as they kissed, slowly and passionately, their bodies entwining as it progressed.

“I need to show you how much I love you,” she said, out of breath, and he scooped her up and carried her up the stairs. He set her on the bed and she began to heal all of the words she had said to him earlier that day. With every touch, electricity ran through his veins. With every kiss, he felt like he was a man in the middle of a drought who had just found water. Their bare bodies danced to the rhythm of love and he clutched her so closely that they became one harmonious being, so in sync, so in love, that nothing in the world could stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I have no idea what I want the next chapter to be about...feel free to make suggestions? Also, please let me know if you liked/didn't like this. I felt it was important because, obviously, in their situation, there had to be a lot of doubt at the beginning because they seem so different, but really, they're two people with the same values who just want to feel love. Note: this is all completely fiction!!! Thank you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment suggestions on how to make them better in the future :).
> 
> Also, please post ideas! I would love to write more, I just need some inspiration :)


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